Well, Tuna provided some entertainment this past week by being a guest on Crikker's JBL Podcast. There is no doubting his passion for the JBL. There is no doubting that he believes he can win this season by boldly predicting a top 3 finish this 09/10 season. Can he do it? I guess we'll find out soon enough. His 1st test will be October 24th on Draft night when he has to piece together a new roster.
This week we also saw Chilliwack drop Mike Bibby and Arctic release Raymond Felton. That frees up 2 more PG's for the JBL draft as there are 8 PG's already being protected. Bibby just signed a big deal in Atlanta and will likely have to share some time with newly acquired Jamal Crawford. That being said, he's still a serviceable PG that shot 39% from downtown last year and his ATO was over 3.000.
Felton's %'s are downright ugly (40 & 28) but he can rebound, steal, and now he's playing for a long-term contract and we all know that players in contract seasons usually come up big.
With Arctic releasing Felton, he is left with Dwight Howard, Andrea Bargnani, Marc Gasol, and Ramon Sessions. This is a big team to start off and clearly Arctic will be looking to add some Guard depth on October 24th. Arctic's rebounds and blocks should be covered with this bunch. D12 will lead the NBA in rebounds and blocks undoubtedly.
I read today that Chris Bosh will miss the start of training camp with a bad hamstring. Uh oh. How does that affect his value? He needs to be healthy as he is playing for a BIG contract - whether that will be in TO or not is still to be determined. So, I expect Bosh to be healthy when the season gets going.
And what about all the guys who played in the European Championships? They played 10+ games this summer. Are they going to be tired? Are they more prone to injury now? Are they going to be better off because they won't be rusty? All points to consider when drafting them.
And what about the return of the injured stars? Namely, Al Jefferson. How good will he be? How good will his knee be? What kind of numbers can he put up? Will he be healthy? What about Amare? Will the goggles allow him to post his big numbers again? What about Andrew Bogut? Is his back healthy? There are numerous guys with injury concerns. I don't think you can trust more than one of them on your team without risking the entire season.
I am getting very excited for the JBL Draft - it's under one month to go. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Online Auction = JBL Parity
Well, it's been awhile since my last post. Why? Unknown. Maybe it's just a natural lull during the summer months when the baseball pool is winding down, Fantasy Football pools are just beginning, Fantasy Hockey pools are being planned, and the JBL is put on the back burner just a little bit.
It's Wednesday today and I feel kinda empty knowing that I am not scheduled for a JBL podcast tonight. Oh well. Maybe Chris will have someone else on. I'd love to hear Benny's thoughts on the upcoming season.
Anyways, the reason for my post today is because I was lying in bed last night, going over potential rosters for my Golden squad and thought about how the online draft is going to affect this year's JBL pool.
Usually, with our old JBL format, there were obvious 'preparation' differences between owners. Some guys come in having spent hours going over stats, depth charts, projections, etc while others are coming in almost cold turkey. Now, with the online auction, all the players are right there...their projected stats are in front of you. No longer will "on-the-ball" owners have the advantage of waiting on a guy because everyone else forgot about him. It's pretty hard to forget about a player when he's sitting on the screen in front of you!!!
So, my theory is that the online auction is going to level the playing field on draft night. Those guys who aren't as prepared are still going to have to draft a balanced roster within a budget - but they at least now have all the players in front of them on the screen with all relevant stats.
Now, the one thing that could be interesting is the 'projected stats' of some of the players. I mean can anyone, expert or otherwise, really project what kind of year Corey Brewer is going to have in Minnesota?? I don't think so.
So, with the online draft just over a month away...it's time to buckle down and figure out how to get that competitive edge. As always, there is a great deal of luck involved in winning the JBL. Now, with the playing field being leveled, I think there will be even more of an emphasis on drafting an injury free team with guys all having career years. Can I find those players who out-perform their projections?? Whoever can do that, stay injury free, and make the best moves throughout the year is going to have a great shot at winning the JBL title in 09/10.
It's Wednesday today and I feel kinda empty knowing that I am not scheduled for a JBL podcast tonight. Oh well. Maybe Chris will have someone else on. I'd love to hear Benny's thoughts on the upcoming season.
Anyways, the reason for my post today is because I was lying in bed last night, going over potential rosters for my Golden squad and thought about how the online draft is going to affect this year's JBL pool.
Usually, with our old JBL format, there were obvious 'preparation' differences between owners. Some guys come in having spent hours going over stats, depth charts, projections, etc while others are coming in almost cold turkey. Now, with the online auction, all the players are right there...their projected stats are in front of you. No longer will "on-the-ball" owners have the advantage of waiting on a guy because everyone else forgot about him. It's pretty hard to forget about a player when he's sitting on the screen in front of you!!!
So, my theory is that the online auction is going to level the playing field on draft night. Those guys who aren't as prepared are still going to have to draft a balanced roster within a budget - but they at least now have all the players in front of them on the screen with all relevant stats.
Now, the one thing that could be interesting is the 'projected stats' of some of the players. I mean can anyone, expert or otherwise, really project what kind of year Corey Brewer is going to have in Minnesota?? I don't think so.
So, with the online draft just over a month away...it's time to buckle down and figure out how to get that competitive edge. As always, there is a great deal of luck involved in winning the JBL. Now, with the playing field being leveled, I think there will be even more of an emphasis on drafting an injury free team with guys all having career years. Can I find those players who out-perform their projections?? Whoever can do that, stay injury free, and make the best moves throughout the year is going to have a great shot at winning the JBL title in 09/10.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Tough to Figure Out...
As I'm sure most of the other JBL owners already know I started preparing for the JBL draft once the NBA draft was completed. That was June so I consider myself JBL draft ready but constantly looking for those winning angles. Today I thought I would discuss a few teams who I think are difficult to figure out from a Fantasy perspective. Most NBA teams you know what their rotation will likely be - minus of course any training camp or injury surprises over the next few weeks. But there are a few teams in my mind that are a little more difficult to know what's going on...
Houston Rockets - No Yao. No T-Mac. No Artest. They have lost their big 3 from last seasons playoff squad. So where does that leave them this year?? McGrady is rehabbing from a knee injury and is ahead of schedule. He is also in a contract season so you know he'll want to get back, play well, and show the world he can get another big contract at age 30. They have brought in a lot of new guys this off season. They have the Lakers playoff hero Trevor Ariza. They brought in the big Aussie David Andersen as well as rookies Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor. So....who plays where? Well, the 2 big cogs for this team that will certainly improve their numbers are Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola. Rounding out the starting lineup will likely be Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza, and newcomer David Andersen. Can Ariza improve on his season last year? Let's remember that Ariza's breakout year resulted in 9ppg and 4rpg. Yes, he's an active defender and posted 136 steals but he's going to have to improve his scoring and rebounding to earn a big JBL salary. How much gas does Shane Battier have left in the tank? He certainly is another good defender whose true value doesn't show up in the JBL stats. He can pass, rebound, steal, and block - but can he do enough of those things to be JBL worthy? And how about all these new players? Are they Fantasy relevant? Chase Budinger was a lottery talent that fell into the 2nd round of the NBA draft. Then he lit up the summer league. Can he earn a spot in the Rockets rotation. Another summer league force was 2nd year man Joey Dorsey. He's an undersized big man who played with Derrick Rose in Memphis. He's a Ben Wallace type player who can't score but sure can rebound the ball. And what about Jermaine Taylor? He's a rookie who can score. The Rockets let Von Wafer go because this kid can play right away. But how much? How soon? There are a lot of Fantasy questions regarding this team heading into the 09/10 season.
New Jersey Nets - a team in transition. How else can you describe them when they trade away their best player for spare parts and one promising talent? There are 2 absolute Fantasy studs on this team. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. They will have to do the bulk of everything in NJ this season so they are certainly worth selecting on draft night. That being said, will either of them be released out of Juan de Fuca? He still has the rights to extend them this off season. As I've stated before...I expect Lopez to be protected by Juan. So, who else starts in NJ? My bet is that Courtney Lee gets the SG nod. He was the key piece from Orlando in the Carter trade. He could have a breakout season. Is Yi Jianlin the answer at PF? How old is he? Seriously. You know you suck when your own team, fans, and people in the NBA question how old you are. Or is Sean Williams, a once up coming stud in the making turned bust, the answer at PF? And who wins the SF starting job? Is it holdover Bobby Simmons? Is it the hustle guy Eduardo Najera? Is it super talented rookie Terrence Williams? My guess, because NJ wants to rebuild in a hurry so they can get to Brooklyn, is that they start the rookie Terrence Williams. He appears to be a jack of all trades who can score, pass, and rebound - but it doesn't appear he can shoot. Those college %'s are not pretty. And can anyone else be a Fantasy factor? Rafer Alston perhaps? He'll have a chance to play as the 1st guard off the bench and will likely be drafted really, really, really late in the JBL draft. I don't see many Fantasy factors on this team on JBL draft night.
And finally, what about those Minnesota Timberwolves? The team that Ricky Rubio didn't want. It's my dream to play in the NBA - except in Minnesota. This is a team who is getting better and has some nice pieces but now need to figure out how to put them all together. This team certainly isn't as difficult to figure out - but still ha some questions. One of those is Al Jefferson. Can he return from injury to be a top 10 Fantasy talent again? How much is he worth after an injury like that? He is the cornerstone of this franchise and is a Fantasy monster when healthy. Other starters in Minny include Kevin Love - a good rebounder who could approach double-double averages this season. At SF it appears Ryan Gomes (13ppg, 5reb) will get the nod and look to improve on those numbers. Minny has signed Ramon Sessions to an offer sheet and if the Bucks don't match I would think he'll be the starter. This leaves super-speedster Jonny Flynn coming off the bench. He could be a Nate Robinson type player. Then again, he could be a 5'10 PG who can't shoot. Who starts at SG? Corey Brewer? He has been injured for 2 years and never was a good shooter. What about rookie Wayne Ellington? Can he win the job? Are there any other fantasy factors on this team? Well, if one of their big men goes down...Darius Songalia looks like the only candidate to step in.
Well, that's it for today...off to prepare for Podcast #2 which will be taped Wednesday night.
Houston Rockets - No Yao. No T-Mac. No Artest. They have lost their big 3 from last seasons playoff squad. So where does that leave them this year?? McGrady is rehabbing from a knee injury and is ahead of schedule. He is also in a contract season so you know he'll want to get back, play well, and show the world he can get another big contract at age 30. They have brought in a lot of new guys this off season. They have the Lakers playoff hero Trevor Ariza. They brought in the big Aussie David Andersen as well as rookies Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor. So....who plays where? Well, the 2 big cogs for this team that will certainly improve their numbers are Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola. Rounding out the starting lineup will likely be Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza, and newcomer David Andersen. Can Ariza improve on his season last year? Let's remember that Ariza's breakout year resulted in 9ppg and 4rpg. Yes, he's an active defender and posted 136 steals but he's going to have to improve his scoring and rebounding to earn a big JBL salary. How much gas does Shane Battier have left in the tank? He certainly is another good defender whose true value doesn't show up in the JBL stats. He can pass, rebound, steal, and block - but can he do enough of those things to be JBL worthy? And how about all these new players? Are they Fantasy relevant? Chase Budinger was a lottery talent that fell into the 2nd round of the NBA draft. Then he lit up the summer league. Can he earn a spot in the Rockets rotation. Another summer league force was 2nd year man Joey Dorsey. He's an undersized big man who played with Derrick Rose in Memphis. He's a Ben Wallace type player who can't score but sure can rebound the ball. And what about Jermaine Taylor? He's a rookie who can score. The Rockets let Von Wafer go because this kid can play right away. But how much? How soon? There are a lot of Fantasy questions regarding this team heading into the 09/10 season.
New Jersey Nets - a team in transition. How else can you describe them when they trade away their best player for spare parts and one promising talent? There are 2 absolute Fantasy studs on this team. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. They will have to do the bulk of everything in NJ this season so they are certainly worth selecting on draft night. That being said, will either of them be released out of Juan de Fuca? He still has the rights to extend them this off season. As I've stated before...I expect Lopez to be protected by Juan. So, who else starts in NJ? My bet is that Courtney Lee gets the SG nod. He was the key piece from Orlando in the Carter trade. He could have a breakout season. Is Yi Jianlin the answer at PF? How old is he? Seriously. You know you suck when your own team, fans, and people in the NBA question how old you are. Or is Sean Williams, a once up coming stud in the making turned bust, the answer at PF? And who wins the SF starting job? Is it holdover Bobby Simmons? Is it the hustle guy Eduardo Najera? Is it super talented rookie Terrence Williams? My guess, because NJ wants to rebuild in a hurry so they can get to Brooklyn, is that they start the rookie Terrence Williams. He appears to be a jack of all trades who can score, pass, and rebound - but it doesn't appear he can shoot. Those college %'s are not pretty. And can anyone else be a Fantasy factor? Rafer Alston perhaps? He'll have a chance to play as the 1st guard off the bench and will likely be drafted really, really, really late in the JBL draft. I don't see many Fantasy factors on this team on JBL draft night.
And finally, what about those Minnesota Timberwolves? The team that Ricky Rubio didn't want. It's my dream to play in the NBA - except in Minnesota. This is a team who is getting better and has some nice pieces but now need to figure out how to put them all together. This team certainly isn't as difficult to figure out - but still ha some questions. One of those is Al Jefferson. Can he return from injury to be a top 10 Fantasy talent again? How much is he worth after an injury like that? He is the cornerstone of this franchise and is a Fantasy monster when healthy. Other starters in Minny include Kevin Love - a good rebounder who could approach double-double averages this season. At SF it appears Ryan Gomes (13ppg, 5reb) will get the nod and look to improve on those numbers. Minny has signed Ramon Sessions to an offer sheet and if the Bucks don't match I would think he'll be the starter. This leaves super-speedster Jonny Flynn coming off the bench. He could be a Nate Robinson type player. Then again, he could be a 5'10 PG who can't shoot. Who starts at SG? Corey Brewer? He has been injured for 2 years and never was a good shooter. What about rookie Wayne Ellington? Can he win the job? Are there any other fantasy factors on this team? Well, if one of their big men goes down...Darius Songalia looks like the only candidate to step in.
Well, that's it for today...off to prepare for Podcast #2 which will be taped Wednesday night.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Idaho and Golden Hook Up....
Well, it took only 4 days before the 1st ever JBL off season trade went down. Oddly enough, I had just blogged about Elton Brand a couple days ago and about his upcoming season in Philly and now I don't have to worry about him as he has been moved on to Idaho.
The initial offer came in from Idaho as Diaw for Brand. This was of course accompanied with his usual little quote which read something to the effect that 'Diaw will be a monster with Okafor gone. I'm thinking 16-7-7 for cheep'. Perfect spelling of course.
Anyways, this initial offer was intriguing...I certainly did not expect Idaho to come knocking on my door...and I certainly did not expect his target to be Brand. Again, Elton has big upside for 09/10 because if he's healthy and can return to form - then $28 bucks is a great deal for those numbers. As previously mentioned though...there is some risk. What if he goes the way of Jermaine O'Neal?
So, the offer of Diaw for Brand was interesting...but I wanted more. If you go far enough back in my blog posts you will know that I have a bit of a man crush for Ronnie Brewer. So, I wanted him as well as Diaw and that was my counter-offer. About 4 hours later, Idaho accepted the deal. I honestly thought he would counter with Diaw & Thornton for EB...which would have also been very tempting but Brewer was the 2nd guy I really wanted.
So...why did I make this trade? Well, I wanted the cheap depth. I see Diaw as a pretty good piece of the puzzle in Charlotte this season. Tuna was right, with Okafor gone and Chandler coming in...Diaw will have to score more. I don't know if 16-7-7 is realistic (for the assists) but it may not be far off. Over the 2nd half of the season last year - Diaw averaged 15-5-5 while shooting 51% and 42% to go with 37 stls and 34 blks in 41 games. He really was a jack of all trades. I view him as a very good depth forward for just $15 bucks.
And then there's Ronnie Brewer. Again, he's not the greatest Fantasy player. He's usually an after-thought in the Utah offense. But, for some reason, and somehow, he was able to average almost 14ppg while shooting over 50% from the field last year. But his biggest stat tick is his steals. He had 138 swipes last year and those can be hard to come by. He doesn't shoot the 3 well and he isn't likely to score 20+ points on many nights...but he has his place. I can protect him for $11 bucks. Is that a huge discount over his likely draft night price? Probably not...but he's one of those guys who you pretty much know what you're gonna get night in and night out.
So...this move was the classic situation of do I go the risky road or do I play it safe? I went safe here. It leaves me a lot of options on draft night now with over $200 left to spend.
So where does this leave Dwyane Wade??? I think at this time it means he's going to be a Free Agent and heading back into the JBL draft. This, just hours after learning that Seoul is sharpening the pencils to sign Lebron's extension. Will Woo stick to his plan and keep LBJ now knowing that he would have the least amount of money to spend on draft night???
And what does this do to the mindset of Crikker in Arctic? Does he keep Howard? Is he the guy? Does Chris really want to spend $74 dollars for D12?
And how does Brussels feel about this move?? He was counting on me to keep Wade and not have any money left for the Goldenboy - Brandon Roy - well, guess what Timmy - I now have more money available to spend on draft night than you do...ugh oh.
Still waiting for Juan to make a move. They have 5 guys and only 2 keeper spots. I put up a poll on the website about which 2 they will be and we saw a lot of different answers. If it was me, it's Durant and Lopez. Durant is potentially a top 5 Fantasy player in my books while Lopez for $1 dollar is ridiculous as he is already one of the best Fantasy centres after just one season.
And finally, in probably the most exciting thing to happen in the JBL in a long time, the JBL website has the 1st ever JBL podcast on the front page. I have to say it was one of the most fun things I have done in a long time. Crikker's interview was awesome. The way he put the clip together was amazing with the intro music, the ticking clock for the rapid fire questions, and his sultry fade out at the end. I listened to it 3 times today. I have this craving for more...I want to do another one. Let's preview the season. Let's preview the JBL draft. Let's chat about a new team name for Trev. Anything, let's just podcast it. I want to interview someone. Let me interview Crikker. Or Benny. Or Timmy. Or Tuna. I have podcast fever. It was amazing. Really. A rush. So cool.
Well, that's it for me tonight. I'm gonna start searching for some team names for Trev again and then starting putting together some podcast stuff. Maybe Crikker and I will hit the big time - just like these guys (wwww.nba.com/magic/multimedia/dantegalanteshow.html). They are classic! They broadcast summer league games and have a HUGE following. I heard them this year for the 1st time and was hooked right away. Check them out on Facebook - they have their own fan page with over 700 fans. Crikker and I can only dream of being that popular.
The initial offer came in from Idaho as Diaw for Brand. This was of course accompanied with his usual little quote which read something to the effect that 'Diaw will be a monster with Okafor gone. I'm thinking 16-7-7 for cheep'. Perfect spelling of course.
Anyways, this initial offer was intriguing...I certainly did not expect Idaho to come knocking on my door...and I certainly did not expect his target to be Brand. Again, Elton has big upside for 09/10 because if he's healthy and can return to form - then $28 bucks is a great deal for those numbers. As previously mentioned though...there is some risk. What if he goes the way of Jermaine O'Neal?
So, the offer of Diaw for Brand was interesting...but I wanted more. If you go far enough back in my blog posts you will know that I have a bit of a man crush for Ronnie Brewer. So, I wanted him as well as Diaw and that was my counter-offer. About 4 hours later, Idaho accepted the deal. I honestly thought he would counter with Diaw & Thornton for EB...which would have also been very tempting but Brewer was the 2nd guy I really wanted.
So...why did I make this trade? Well, I wanted the cheap depth. I see Diaw as a pretty good piece of the puzzle in Charlotte this season. Tuna was right, with Okafor gone and Chandler coming in...Diaw will have to score more. I don't know if 16-7-7 is realistic (for the assists) but it may not be far off. Over the 2nd half of the season last year - Diaw averaged 15-5-5 while shooting 51% and 42% to go with 37 stls and 34 blks in 41 games. He really was a jack of all trades. I view him as a very good depth forward for just $15 bucks.
And then there's Ronnie Brewer. Again, he's not the greatest Fantasy player. He's usually an after-thought in the Utah offense. But, for some reason, and somehow, he was able to average almost 14ppg while shooting over 50% from the field last year. But his biggest stat tick is his steals. He had 138 swipes last year and those can be hard to come by. He doesn't shoot the 3 well and he isn't likely to score 20+ points on many nights...but he has his place. I can protect him for $11 bucks. Is that a huge discount over his likely draft night price? Probably not...but he's one of those guys who you pretty much know what you're gonna get night in and night out.
So...this move was the classic situation of do I go the risky road or do I play it safe? I went safe here. It leaves me a lot of options on draft night now with over $200 left to spend.
So where does this leave Dwyane Wade??? I think at this time it means he's going to be a Free Agent and heading back into the JBL draft. This, just hours after learning that Seoul is sharpening the pencils to sign Lebron's extension. Will Woo stick to his plan and keep LBJ now knowing that he would have the least amount of money to spend on draft night???
And what does this do to the mindset of Crikker in Arctic? Does he keep Howard? Is he the guy? Does Chris really want to spend $74 dollars for D12?
And how does Brussels feel about this move?? He was counting on me to keep Wade and not have any money left for the Goldenboy - Brandon Roy - well, guess what Timmy - I now have more money available to spend on draft night than you do...ugh oh.
Still waiting for Juan to make a move. They have 5 guys and only 2 keeper spots. I put up a poll on the website about which 2 they will be and we saw a lot of different answers. If it was me, it's Durant and Lopez. Durant is potentially a top 5 Fantasy player in my books while Lopez for $1 dollar is ridiculous as he is already one of the best Fantasy centres after just one season.
And finally, in probably the most exciting thing to happen in the JBL in a long time, the JBL website has the 1st ever JBL podcast on the front page. I have to say it was one of the most fun things I have done in a long time. Crikker's interview was awesome. The way he put the clip together was amazing with the intro music, the ticking clock for the rapid fire questions, and his sultry fade out at the end. I listened to it 3 times today. I have this craving for more...I want to do another one. Let's preview the season. Let's preview the JBL draft. Let's chat about a new team name for Trev. Anything, let's just podcast it. I want to interview someone. Let me interview Crikker. Or Benny. Or Timmy. Or Tuna. I have podcast fever. It was amazing. Really. A rush. So cool.
Well, that's it for me tonight. I'm gonna start searching for some team names for Trev again and then starting putting together some podcast stuff. Maybe Crikker and I will hit the big time - just like these guys (wwww.nba.com/magic/multimedia/dantegalanteshow.html). They are classic! They broadcast summer league games and have a HUGE following. I heard them this year for the 1st time and was hooked right away. Check them out on Facebook - they have their own fan page with over 700 fans. Crikker and I can only dream of being that popular.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The JBL Offseason
Well, the first ever JBL offseason trading began with a....whimper. No deals. Apparently some offers, but nothing has been completed yet. I made some offers to Bangkok and Juan but both deals were rejected. Both offers included D-Wade from my end. I guess there is some argument to whether or not he would be a bargain at $69 bucks.
Remember the old days of the JBL when David Robinson went for $130 bucks, Hakeem Olajuwon went for $100, Jordan was $90+, Garnett was $90+, and even Karl Malone and his 25 and 10 went for $90 dollars one season. Apparently, those days are gone. The trend in the last couple of seasons has seen the top end guys (Lebron, Paul, Howard, Wade) all top out around $70 dollars. From there, all other players’ value comes up a bit and there is this huge middle tier of players. I think why the top end guys are seeing a reduction in value is because teams don’t want to have that one player cost them the season. It’s true, if you have D-Wade, at $69 dollars and he blows a knee and goes down for the year – your JBL title hopes are gone. Look at what happened to Benny last season when he lost Al Jefferson. Now, the biggest difference was that Al was on his last year of a 3 year contract that had him in the $20 buck range. Big difference. Benny was able to still contend because he had a well balanced roster. However, if your top guy is $75 bucks, that leaves you $185 for 14 other players.
The other factor is the belief that the guy you are protecting for $69 dollars could be had for that amount again. What if I let Wade go back into the auction and I get him for $65? Then I would have looked like an idiot for keeping him at $69 – I saved $4 dollars. But what if I really want Wade and have to spend $85 to get him? Now that move cost me $16 dollars.
So...is D-Wade a bargain at $69 dollars? I think he is...but I’m still afraid to announce officially I am keeping him.
What about Elton Brand for $28 bucks? A few years ago this would be a no-brainer. EB has always been a highly sought after power forward who can give you 20 and 10 with 2 blocks and great FG%. But now, after back to back injury plagued seasons, I’m worried about his health and how he fits in to the 76ers offense. Last season, when he was healthy, he didn’t look comfortable and didn’t play well at all. The 76ers ran more and were a better team with Eb on the sidelines. However, a couple of things have changed for the 76ers coming into 09/10. First of all, they have a new coach in Eddie Jordan. You remember him? The guy who was fired and blamed for the lack of success that the Wizards were having after losing Arenas, Haywood, and others to injury. This is the same guy who also had great success turning the Wizards into a very good basketball team. The 2nd thing is that the 76ers no longer have Andre Miller. He was the engine that drove that team. Now, they are turning things over to Louis Williams and rookie Jrue Holiday. How will this affect their offense? Can they play a fast pace with those guys running the show? And finally, there is lots of talk from Coach Jordan that they will probably play Brand a lot at Centre and use Williams, Green, Iggy, Young, and Brand. So, how does this affect EB’s value? Well, he would gain Center eligibility – always a handy thing to have. He would also be the primary rebounder in those sets as Dalembert would be on the bench. So, there’s a lot of positive factors heading into the 09/10 season for Brand. However, the biggest one is will he be healthy. Can he get back to his old 20 and 10 days? That’s the $28 dollar question. I guess I’ll have to see how he plays in the pre-season.
Finally, our new boy, Marko Papic is really turning heads in his first week in the JBL. He has already written 2 articles (which is more than some teams have written in a lifetime). He’s very passionate about the NBA and I think he will be an excellent fit in the JBL. Those guys who are active in Free Agency and are up-to-date on happenings around the NBA always do well in the JBL. So, I think he will be a contended in his first year. Can he pull a Woo and win it all? Who knows, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Remember the old days of the JBL when David Robinson went for $130 bucks, Hakeem Olajuwon went for $100, Jordan was $90+, Garnett was $90+, and even Karl Malone and his 25 and 10 went for $90 dollars one season. Apparently, those days are gone. The trend in the last couple of seasons has seen the top end guys (Lebron, Paul, Howard, Wade) all top out around $70 dollars. From there, all other players’ value comes up a bit and there is this huge middle tier of players. I think why the top end guys are seeing a reduction in value is because teams don’t want to have that one player cost them the season. It’s true, if you have D-Wade, at $69 dollars and he blows a knee and goes down for the year – your JBL title hopes are gone. Look at what happened to Benny last season when he lost Al Jefferson. Now, the biggest difference was that Al was on his last year of a 3 year contract that had him in the $20 buck range. Big difference. Benny was able to still contend because he had a well balanced roster. However, if your top guy is $75 bucks, that leaves you $185 for 14 other players.
The other factor is the belief that the guy you are protecting for $69 dollars could be had for that amount again. What if I let Wade go back into the auction and I get him for $65? Then I would have looked like an idiot for keeping him at $69 – I saved $4 dollars. But what if I really want Wade and have to spend $85 to get him? Now that move cost me $16 dollars.
So...is D-Wade a bargain at $69 dollars? I think he is...but I’m still afraid to announce officially I am keeping him.
What about Elton Brand for $28 bucks? A few years ago this would be a no-brainer. EB has always been a highly sought after power forward who can give you 20 and 10 with 2 blocks and great FG%. But now, after back to back injury plagued seasons, I’m worried about his health and how he fits in to the 76ers offense. Last season, when he was healthy, he didn’t look comfortable and didn’t play well at all. The 76ers ran more and were a better team with Eb on the sidelines. However, a couple of things have changed for the 76ers coming into 09/10. First of all, they have a new coach in Eddie Jordan. You remember him? The guy who was fired and blamed for the lack of success that the Wizards were having after losing Arenas, Haywood, and others to injury. This is the same guy who also had great success turning the Wizards into a very good basketball team. The 2nd thing is that the 76ers no longer have Andre Miller. He was the engine that drove that team. Now, they are turning things over to Louis Williams and rookie Jrue Holiday. How will this affect their offense? Can they play a fast pace with those guys running the show? And finally, there is lots of talk from Coach Jordan that they will probably play Brand a lot at Centre and use Williams, Green, Iggy, Young, and Brand. So, how does this affect EB’s value? Well, he would gain Center eligibility – always a handy thing to have. He would also be the primary rebounder in those sets as Dalembert would be on the bench. So, there’s a lot of positive factors heading into the 09/10 season for Brand. However, the biggest one is will he be healthy. Can he get back to his old 20 and 10 days? That’s the $28 dollar question. I guess I’ll have to see how he plays in the pre-season.
Finally, our new boy, Marko Papic is really turning heads in his first week in the JBL. He has already written 2 articles (which is more than some teams have written in a lifetime). He’s very passionate about the NBA and I think he will be an excellent fit in the JBL. Those guys who are active in Free Agency and are up-to-date on happenings around the NBA always do well in the JBL. So, I think he will be a contended in his first year. Can he pull a Woo and win it all? Who knows, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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