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.