Ranking the Keepers

I think I'll go through each team's JBL roster to see who has a good stable of keepers. I'll start at the bottom and work my way up. My criteria? I consider best value for the $$ of course. I'll consider room to grow. I'll factor in injury risk. I'll consider a lot of things. Here we go...

Belgrade Zombies

1. Kevin Love $17 (#1 keeper in my books)
2. Tyreke Evans $18 (20-5-5 potential)
3. DeMar DeRozan $5 (16ppg and still improving)
4. Andrew Bynum $15 (can he stay healthy?)
5. Ersan Ilyasova $4 (if only Milwaukee had set rotations)

Maui Ribs

1. Antawn Jamison $17 (can still play - but where will he be next season)
2. Andrei Kirilenko $11 (former $50 dollar player can still stuff the stat sheet - sometimes)
3. Evan Turner $6 (#2 pick still improving)
4. Samuel Dalembert $6 (big time shotblocker just needs to play 35 mins somewhere)
5. Andrew Bogut $35 (one of the best shot blockers and rebounders for just $40 bucks)

Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas

1. Danilo Gallinari $7 (15ppg guy with 3PT% - will he be in NY next season though?)
2. Kenyon Martin $3 (if he could regain his form he could be value at $8 bucks)
3. Arron Affalo $8 (Denver could look very different soon and this kid is underrated)
4. DeMarcus Cousins $27 (can he find the light switch and improve to 18 & 8?)
5. Roy Hibbert $29 (is there still room to improve? Or is this as good as he gets?)

Brussles Muscles

1. DeAndre Jordan $1 (his exciting athletic play has Clipper fans buzzing. Bye Bye Kaman)
2. Ty Lawson $5 (future starting PG in Denver when Billups leaves?)
3. Zach Randolph $28 (20 & 13 for $33 bucks...um, yeah, I'll take that)
4. Nick Young $10 (still improving on a young Wizards team)
5. John Wall $37 (15 and 10 in his rookie year while injured? Sky is the limit)

Manhattan Beach Ballers

1. Nicolas Batum $1 (jack of all trades is still improving for an always injured Blazers team)
2. Omar Casspi $2 (love him, but he needs some love from his coach)
3. Amare $50 (the MVP candidate has been awesome this season)
4. Manu Ginobili $23 (ageless wonder is still stat-stuffing)
5. Derrick Favors $7 (what is he figures it out and NJ actually plays him?)

Yuma Thurmans

1. Steve Nash $34 (he's still got it!)
2. Mike Conley $9 (nothing flashy but very solid and really helps in steals)
3. Tayshaun Prince $13 (on the right team he could still be valuable)
4. Stephen Jackson $18 (Captain Jack just can't shoot - but nice stats elsewhere)
5. Kobe $55 (if you loved him and like 25-5-5 then why not keep him)

Chilliwack Offs

1. Joakim Noah $22 (love his game and numbers. A true top notch Fantasy center)
2. Blake Griffin $49 (no brainer - he will be protected - he is a fantasy stud)
3. Jose Calderon $5 (ATO is awesome but inconsistency is maddening)
4. Lou Williams $1 (I'm not a fan but he can help in a few categories)
5. Shawn Marion $6 (former fantasy stud still can stuff the boxscore)

Golden Showers

1. Dorell Wright $10 (6 category fantasy player having a breakout season)
2. Eric Gordon $23 (top 10 NBA scorer and 5 category player for under $30 bucks)
3. Luis Scola $18 (19 and 9 and still an under-rated fantasy PF)
4. Greg Monroe $2 (potential 10-10 guy but will the playing time be there)
5. Carlos Boozer $30 (20 & 10 player for a very good Bulls team)

Arctic Circle Jerks

1. Michael Beasley $12 (20 and 6 - showing Miami that they should have kept him)
2. Serge Ibaka $4 (shotblocker extreme just needs to play more)
3. Raymond Felton $21 (the PG for a run and gun team is always a good thing)
4. Brandon Bass $1 (cheap starter and good 5th forward)
5. Mike Miller $1 (he has to find his game at some point doesn't he?)

French Lick Celtics

1. Landry Fields $1 (NY loves his all around game )
2. Wilson Chandler $12 (17 and 6 with blocks - but is he still in NY next year?)
3. Anderson Varejao $7 (10-10 potential with FG%, steals and blocks + great hair)
4. Emeka Okafor $32 (rebounds and blocks for under $40 bucks)
5. Chris Paul $66 (remember when the star players went for $100 bucks?)

Seoul Brothers

1. Tyson Chandler $3 (having a great season)
2. Ray Allen $13 (getting better with age)
3. Kevin Garnett $18 (all around game is still very good but health a concern)
4. Shane Battier $1 (all around game helps any Fantasy team)
5. Dwyane Wade $57 (still one of the best Fantasy studs out there)

Idaho Udapimps

1. Kevin Martin $17 (23ppg scorer with great 3PT% always helps)
2. Paul Pierce $22 (another stat stuffer who appears to be getting better with age)
3. Brandon Jennings $20 (love his potential if he ever gets a jump shot)
4. Amir Johnson $3 (when you pay him that much you have to play him right?)
5. Dwight Howard $76 (best big man in the Fantasy world by far)

Bangkok Fighters

1. Stephen Curry $15 (2nd best keeper in the world at this price)
2. Rudy Gay $24 (another top notch stat stuffer for under $30 bucks. No brainer)
3. Tony Parker $15 (having a quietly spectacular season. Look at those numbers)
4. Chris Kaman $14 (a very good fantasy center will probably need a new NBA home)
5. Wesley Johnson $9 (lots of upside for the kid - but is he 4th option in Minny next year?)

So, there you have it, I tried to go 5 players deep for each team - which to be honest - was very difficult for some teams. The other interesting thing to keep an eye on is the standings because we know that JBL teams can only protect so many players based on their final position in the standings. So, Kevin Love may be in Belgrade right now but if the Zombies can't get out of the basement then he'll be headed back to the JBL auction. It might be in Belgrade's best interest to move Love to the highest bidder so he can get out of the basement and then move on to the #2 keeper on his list (a guy like Tyreke of DeRozan). We'll see what the Zombies strategy is as the keeper trade deadline approaches.

Signing off....

That Didn't Take Long...

Well, one day after blogging that I would be looking for additional keepers, the deal is done. Golden and Seoul hooked up on a 6 player deal. I sent Odom, Ridnour, and Hayes to Seoul in exchange for Scola, Monroe, and Delfino. Seoul gets his ATO and some more 3PT% while Golden comes away with 2 more keepers for the stable. Negotiations were fairly short and it only took 3-4 offers back and forth to have the framework in place. I really didn't want Delfino. But he had to be included for salary cap purposes.

I almost went to Bangkok in attempt to get Curry using Boozer, Odom, and Ridnour for a package that would have included Curry, Brand, Kaman, and Okur but I figured it would be tough sledding and I am a big fan of both Scola and Monroe for their current prices.

So, the Golden team is now stacked with potential keepers. Let's review:

- Aldridge for $40
- Boozer for $35
- Gordon for $28
- Scola for $23
- Wright for $15
- Monroe for $7

How many will be I be able to keep? I think best case scenario the number is 3. Worst case, I think it's only 2. Hopefully, the group I have left in Golden can hang on to a top 8 spot in the final JBL standings.

How much are some of these guys actually worth at auction??
Well, here's Luis Scola's numbers so far this season...

19ppg, 8reb, 50%FG, 34stl, 33blk, 108/91 ATO.

Now here are the numbers of another well known Power Forward.

19ppg, 7reb, 52%FG, 43stl, 44blk, 105/94 ATO.

Those are remarkably similar numbers (especially in ATO) don't you think??? So, who is the comparable? Any guesses? He's plays in the Western Conference. Give up? It's David West. And he went for $40 bucks in the auction this past season. And Scola can be protected for $23 dollars. That appears to be good value.

What is Boozer worth at auction? He's probably a $40-$45 dollar player. So as a keeper he's maybe a $10 savings.

What about Aldridge? History tells us he's a $40 dollar guy (around there) and this year his numbers have spiked with the injury to Roy so he could be a $45 dollar guy. So, that's about $5 dollar savings.

Dorell Wright is a tough one. Can he duplicate this season he's having again next year? And who are his comparables? (I feel like a player agent trying to get him a raise). OK, I think I found someone sort of similar...here are Dorell's numbers.

17ppg, 6reb, 43% FG and 42% 3PT, 63 steals, 36 blocks, 1.743 ATO

And now here's a potential comparable...

16ppg, 8reb, 42% FG, 59 steals, 31 blocks, 0.682 ATO

So, close, not as good as the Scola/West example but still in the ballpark. Who is the comparable player? Anyone? Andray Blatche. He of the $27 dollar salary. So, Wright is a bargain at $15 bucks.

And what about Eric Gordon for $28? Again, the #8 scorer in the league that is a 5 category player. There are rumors out there that Brussels is talking extension with Jrue Holiday ($21) for next season. If that's the case, let's see how EG and Jrue compare.

Gordon - 24ppg, 47%, 37%, 3 reb, 1.722 ATO, 50 stl, 14 blk
Holiday - 14ppg, 44%, 36%, 4 reb, 2.314, 67 stl, 14 blk

So, if it's about salary cap management and finding bargains, if Brussels keeps Jrue, I should definitely be keeping Gordon.

The wild card in the picture could be Greg Monroe. He's just $2 bucks. He's now starting for the rebuilding Pistons and he reminds some of a young Nene. As mentioned previously, in his last 10 games he is averaging 11ppg and 9reb and has 19 steals all while shooting 59%. The kid has potential and I may as well take a good long look at how he performs over the 2nd half of the season.

So, Golden is resigned to being a middle of the pack team. I am comfortable with the idea that this will be the worst Showers season in the JBL since the 90's. But I like the guys I could potentially bring back and hope I can get things back on track next year. For now, I am enjoying the challenge of managing a rag tag team of FA's from week to week and constantly dealing with inconsistency, injury, and frustration. Long live the JBL!

Comeback Hopes Dashed...

Well, with today's news that Eric Gordon is going to be out of action for 3-4 weeks, this essentially means that any chance of the Golden squad moving up in the standings is essentially dead. Losing the #8 scorer in the NBA and having to replace him with a guy like Rudy Fernandez is devastating news. The Golden squad is currently 200 points out of 5th place and will surely drop in PTS now that I lose EG's 24ppg.

The news essentially puts an end to a miserable season that saw the Showers open the year with a 190 point week. Over the next 13 weeks the Showers have risen to a high of 6th place and on one night I cracked the 800 point barrier. Since then, I've battled injuries, poor roster management, and made some questionable trades that ultimately didn't pan out.

So, what's next for the Showers squad?? Well, it's time to evaluate what talent I have that could be protected for next season. If I can manage to hold on to a 6th to 8th place in the standings this would allow me to protect 3 players for next season. So, who are the candidates?

Eric Gordon for $28 bucks. Despite his big injury that killed my 10/11 hopes, I am high on EG. He's the #8 scorer in the NBA. Look at the other names in the top 10 in NBA scoring and then look at their JBL salaries. Scorers typically do not come cheap. And relatively speaking, EG is a bargain. He scores, shoots a decent FG% for a SG, can shoot the 3 (despite his poor start to the season - check out his last 20 games), he has decent ATO (1.600 range) and he gets over 1 steal per game. He's essentially a 5 category fantasy player and he's only going to get better with Blake Griffin along side of him. So, he's on my keeper radar for sure.

Carlos Boozer for $35 bucks. Another injury prone player that I am fond of. He's averaging 20 and 10 on the nose so far this season while shooting a very impressive 55%. He doesn't help in many other categories but it's very difficult to find a comparison to Boozer in the 20/10 range with that kind of FG%. I think a healthy Boozer would have gone for $40-$45 in the Auction this year and would likely find himself in that range again next season. So, if that's the case, Boozer is a slight bargain at $35 dollars.

LaMarcus Aldridge for $40 bucks. Firstly, remember, I am a big Blazers fan. Secondly, I have had LA on my team for 3 of his 4 NBA seasons. In his rookie year, Bangkok drafted LA for $33 bucks. Then I grabbed him for $37. Then $40. And this past season for $35. So, his auction price has been very steady over the years. What changed this season in PDX was the injury to Brandon Roy. Since Roy went down, LA has stepped up his game big time and is now being talked about for the All-Star game. Is LA a big bargain at $40 bucks? Probably not. However, he is becoming very consistent as the leader of the Blazers. Just look at his numbers this season. 21ppg, 9reb, 48% FG, 49 steals and 54 blocks in 46 games so far. He's a 5 category player and could challenge the elusive 100/100 club for steals and blocks. That is a pretty exclusive club (hello Josh Smith). Anyways, LA is a possible keeper in my books.

Dorell Wright for $15 bucks. This guy wasn't even drafted on Auction night this year. He should have been, but wasn't. Bangkok grabbed him off the waiver wire and rode his hot streak. And then his hot streak never ended and I had to have him. I gave up a lot to get this guy and he hasn't disappointed. He's a leading contender for MIP and he's averaging 16ppg and 6reb per game. He shoots over 40% from downtown. His ATO is 1.743. He has 63 steals and 36 blocks in 44 games. His only weakness is a 43% FG%. Dorell is a 6 category fantasy player and he's only 15 bucks. Could this season be a fluke? Absolutely it could. Is it worth the $15 bucks to keep him and find out if he can do it again next season - you bet it is. Here are some other notable draftees from the auction that went in the $15 dollar range - Robin Lopez, Jarrett Jack, Corey Brewer, and Linas Kleiza. So, some guys in this price range could be complete busts. You just don't know. The other thing that Dorell has going for him is that he plays for the Warriors. A team that, despite canning Don Nelson, still plays a run and gun style and still plays their starters way too many minutes. I think Dorell will be back in Golden next season.

Those are the 4 main contenders for the possible 3 keeper spots right now. There could be some others on the current Golden roster that could be considered.

Kendrick Perkins for $7. He needs to play 20 games to be eligible because he was a FA signed during the season but that looks to be a safe bet since he returned from ACL surgery tonight. Perk is a big guy on an aging Celtics team. He can be a 10 and 6 guy with some blocks and would be a nice role player piece on any JBL fantasy team.

Roddy Beaubois for $6 bucks. I drafted the kid in Vegas and he's been on the roster ever since. During the pre-season I fell for the dude when I heard Mark Cuban and Dirty Dirk talk about Roddy and his game. I had to have him. And I'm still waiting for him. He's lightning fast and is primed to take over for an aging Jason Kidd. Is he a sure thing? Far from it. He's a huge question mark. His upside is HUGE while his downside is that he could be released. Strange I know, but that's how big of a swing this kid could be. He could be an absolute steal for $6 bucks as a keeper or I could see myself flat out dropping the kid if he can't handle the pressure.

There isn't much else on the Golden roster that is worth consideration in terms of keepers. I do have some talent that could potentially land me another potential keeper or two. Lamar Odom and Monta Ellis would be the big names I could offer while an under-rated guy like Luke Ridnour and his 3.000+ ATO could help a number of JBL teams in search of ATO.

So, who are some guys that I could target as potential keepers in Golden?

• Serge Ibaka $4 - I still love this kid's potential. Yes, I traded him away but that was when I still had dreams of climbing the JBL ladder. Now, I'd take him back in a heartbeat.
• Luis Scola $18 - He's underrated in my books. 19 and 8 with some steals and some blocks while shooting 50% and positive ATO. He can play for Golden any day.
• Stephen Curry $15. One more keeper year left. The #2 keeper in my books is very good value for the price. Bangkok's asking price likely to be very steep.
• Rudy Gay $24 - I thought he would regress once he got his big contract. Boy, was I wrong. He's a 6 category player in a big way!
• Greg Monroe $2 - I drafted him and saw the potential - I just couldn't wait for him to develop. In his last 10 games he's averaged 11ppg and 9reb with 19 steals. The aging Pistons will have to play him sooner or later.
• Wilson Chandler $12 - 17ppg and 6reb with over 60 blocks so far this season. He plays in an uptempo NY system that is fantasy friendly. The concern is that he could be part of a rebuilding project in Denver when it's all said and done.
• Paul Pierce $22 - the leader of the aging Celtics is having an awesome year. Sure, he's not going to score 30 on many nights anymore but he's turned into an all around fantasy player. He is almost a 7 category player.
• Kevin Martin $17 - again, scoring is at a premium in the JBL and this guy puts up 23ppg for just $17 bucks currently. Even at $22 he's a bargain because of the volume of points he scores. His BIG negative is that he's injury prone and if he makes it through 10/11 without an injury what are the chances he could do it 2 years in a row? Major health risk here.
• Joakim Noah $22 - Benny loves him. And really, why wouldn't you love him? He's got crazy hair, shoots one of the weirdest looking shots ever, and has a tendex of 22. Stud.
• DeAndre Jordan $1 - the man who made Kaman expendable. DJ has really developed alongside Blake and EG. He's extremely athletic and is a shot blocking fiend. But Brussels has him locked in and I think it would be very difficult to pry him away.
• Kevin Love $17 - I'll put his name here - but why would Belgrade trade him? He would be crazy to do that.
• Michael Beasley $12 - I'm not a fan of his character but his game has improved big time this season. He's a 20 and 6 guy with good %'s. Again, with the premium placed on Scoring in the JBL he's an asset to any JBL team.

There you have it...the Golden summary and a look at some keepers I will look at over the coming weeks. Those of you who read the Chronicles will know who I'm interested in and know who I am likely to move (or not move). The top 5 JBL teams will probably have some interest in guys like Monta, Odom and Ridnour and I think using those 3 guys I may be able to land one (or two) more potential keepers to the Golden stable. We'll see how it plays out over the coming weeks.

Idaho Rising...

With the end of week 13 upon us...we some separation at the top of the JBL Standings. Bangkok is still in the lead but he does have company. The still surprising Idaho squad and the back-to-back champion Seoul team is right on the tail of Tricky Rick. Idaho is just % points away from gaining 13 points in 3PT% and just a couple more rebounds away from gaining 15 points in rebounding. Idaho is really close to being in 1st place!! We'll see if he can do it....

Why is Idaho doing so well? Well, I have to say his Vegas draft performance was the best he's ever had. He has 3 main pieces to his squad that he has left untouched this season. Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and Paul Pierce are the core of this team. With Dwight he has scoring, rebounds, FG% and blocks. With Deron he has scoring, ATO, and steals. And Pierce has become a 7 category fantasy player this season providing scoring, 3PT%, FG%, and steals too. This is the core of the Idaho squad.

He has taken chances with his roster moves this year as well. Remember, it was Idaho who took the chance on Brandon Roy. OK, sure, it hasn't worked out with him, but Idaho hasn't been afraid to try. He's traded big names like Bosh, Ellis, and Tyreke and he has put together a very good roster. He hasn't won anything yet but this Idaho team looks poised to grab a money spot this year for sure. And who knows, he might just be able to win it all.

Idaho could improve his squad even more if he's able to pawn off some of his protectable talent. He has Kevin Martin for just $17 bucks. K-Mart is a 23ppg scorer who shoots over 40% from downtown. I would have to imagine, as tough as it is to get scoring, that Martin would be one player that JBL teams would want to protect for next season.

So, we make fun of the kid for his ridiculous trade offers, his odd spelling, and his lack of JBL success (only 1 money finish in his history) but the 10/11 JBL season could be a historic one for Idaho.

What's for Sale?

Well, we're at the halfway point and those bottom feeding teams will have to start thinking about gathering talent for next season. Let's see what the current bottom 2 teams have in terms of assets that could land them some cheap talent for next season.

Maui Ribs - Trev's team is having a great week but it's a little too late to make a comeback I think. As we know, the team that finishes 13th won't be able to protect anyone so Trevor needs to make a push to climb the standings. The Ribs current roster isn't loaded with much protectable talent for next season. He has Evan Turner ($6) but he hasn't been great on many nights. He could have the chance to breakout if Philly decides to move Iguodala. Trev also has Channing Frye for $6 bucks but again he's just a good role player as opposed to a star. What Trevor does have are players that others team could use. He has Bogut, Granger, and the surprisingly impressive Beno Udrih. A guy like Bogut sure could be valuable to a team needing blocks (hello Arctic).

Belgrade Zombies - Marko has been very quiet this season. Very few scoreboard posts. Very few trade offers. What's going on? I just don't know. Currently, Belgrade is going in the wrong direction and is approaching the JBL basement. Belgrade does have assets that he could move though. He has the soon-to-be-moved Carmelo Anthony. He has Brook Lopez. He also has quality PG's in DJ Augustin and Devin Harris. Belgrade does have some potential talent for next season with DeRozan and Ibaka but he could leverage a much better keeper if he wanted to trade Carmelo or Lopez.

The biggest challenge for the rest of the JBL will be getting anyone out of these notoriously stingy trading partners.

Lofty Goals in Brussels

The late Sunday evening edition of the Chronicles...

Earlier this evening we saw a 5 player deal between Idaho and Brussels. Idaho re-acquires Chris Bosh along with Jonny Flynn and Terrance Williams in exchange for Tyreke Evans and DeAndre Jordan. In my view, this is really a 3 player deal (Bosh for Tyreke and Jordan). Flynn and Williams are NOT fantasy factors at this point in time. Maybe Idaho knows something that the rest of us don't, but I'm not feeling either of them for week 12. Bosh and Evans are back on JBL teams they've already done tours of duty with this season. Must be some sort of Cousin-loan program...

Brussels has added Tyreke and Jordan to his squad and the Brussels team is a very large one these days. He trots out Jordan, Bynum, Randolph and McGee. Very soon he can add Gerald Wallace and Troy Murphy (likely in a Pistons uniform) to the mix. This will be a very strong rebounding team moving forward.

Tim and I exchanged several texts this evening about life, trades, JBL, and other topics. I really enjoy my chats with Timbo. Lots of fun. I asked Brussels where he saw his team finishing the season. His answer was "top 5 finish". I also needed to know if this was ahead or behind the Golden Showers squad (just so I know what to expect). He said 'ahead'. So, this Brussels team, currently with 479 points is going to crack the top 5?? Currently, 5th place in the JBL is Seoul at 905 points. Can Brussels really crack the 900 point plateau by the end of the season??Let's break this down and see if it's possible....

Currently, the Muscles are 11th in 3 point shooting and statistically speaking they are actually the 13th best 3PT% team in the JBL. Troy Murphy's return could really help this team out but it will be tough to gain much ground in this category.

ATO - the Muscles are at 1.637 for the season and his team is tracking around the same level. It's hard to predict since we don't know what kind of 2nd halves Wall or Lawson may have. Regardless, Tim's in the mix with all the other ATO teams in the 1.600 range. He could maybe gain as much as 39 points in this category. Of course, he could also lose points in this category.

BLKS - the Brussels team is tracking at 0.72 for the season. This is 3rd best pace in the JBL. Currently, Brussels is already 4th in the JBL in blocks. He tracks at a better pace than Bangkok so he could gain 13pts if he catches the 'Kok. He could also catch Golden if the Showers move any shot blockers (Ibaka). So, this could be a 26 point gain for the Muscles. No one is catching the Ballers. In fact, they should set a JBL record for most blocks in a JBL season.

FG% - the current Muscles squad tracks at 45.4% and currently the squad is at 44.9% - so he can move up a bit in terms of percentage. Unfortunately, the next closest team is the Yuma squad and they are at 45.9%. Troy Murphy's return to fantasy prominence could play a factor but is he really going to shoot a high enough percentage to move Brussels up? As structured, I don't see the Muscles team going anywhere in FG%.

PTS - currently the Muscles are 12th in the JBL in scoring. Statistically, this team averages just under 12ppg as a group and that's good for 12th as well. Now, maybe the return of a healthy Troy Murphy can help but what is he going to average? 15ppg maybe? At the moment, as it is currently structured, this team doesn't score enough to move up in the category. The Muscles currently don't have a single 20ppg scorer on their roster.

STL - currently the Muscles are 9th in steals but they track a bit higher as the 5th best steals team in the JBL. So, there is some room for improvement. Let's predict they can get to 5th in steals - that would be +50 in the points category (roughly).

REBS - I take it this is where Brussels is hoping to make his move. Currently, the Muscles are 9th in rebounding but the rebounding race, at least in the middle of the pack, is still quite close. It's very possible, with all the big bodies that Brussels has acquired that this team could get up to 4th in rebounding by the end of the season. And maybe with some luck he could get 3rd in rebounds. Roughly, he could pull another +75 points for the team.

So, as they are currently structured, how many points can Brussels gain?? Well, based on my rough estimates he can gain about 180-200 points. That would put him in the 680-700 range by season's end. Will that be enough for a top 5 finish? Will that be enough to beat the Golden squad? I'll let you guys answer those questions...but I think you know what mine are when it comes to Brussels' dream of finishing top 5. He very well may finish higher in the standings than Golden by season's end - but I don't think a top 5 finish is in the cards for this Muscles squad.

What do you think?

Golden Keeps Making Moves...

Well, I had a busy weekend. How about you?

I started the weekend off with a 4 player deal with Bangkok - you remember it - Collison/Deng for Wright/Garcia. I was heavily criticized for making this deal by a few of the JBL owners. They claimed I was getting hosed in this trade. And maybe I did give up too much. But both Garcia and Wright played their final games for Bangkok today and both showed that they could add a lot to Golden moving forward. Wright's last hurrah was a 27 point, 5/6 from downtown effort while Garcia chipped in a 13 point game. We'll see how this deal works out, but when you're in 8th place, why not make a deal? What do I have to lose..

I made another salary cap deal this morning with Manhattan - proving that Bob does make trades and ultimately that he checks his email. I moved Nicolas Batum for Corey Brewer. I'll admit, Batum is the better player in the deal and should see lots of minutes as long as Roy remains out. Why did I go after Brewer? Well, a couple of reasons. The first is that I had to acquire salary and Brewer is $15 bucks. Secondly, Brewer has 60 steals for the season. Can he shoot? No. Does he do much else? No. But he is going to be starting now for Minny so we'll see how this necessary deal works out for me. Both Batum and Brewer are role players so this was more of a 'had to' trade than a 'want to' trade.

I also made a deal with the devil, er, I mean Idaho. I traded one of my favorites - Derrick Rose - to Idaho for Monta Ellis. Why did I do this deal? Well, again, salary was a factor. Also, Monta has more steals than Rose and I need steals desperately. I'm hoping that Monta's steals and 3pt shooting can be better than Rose moving forward. This was a stud for stud deal so both teams are winners here. I do have a side bet with Idaho this season and it certainly appears I will be losing the bet and paying his JBL entry fee next season. Does this move secure Idaho's spot in the money? Probably not, but he's right there...that's for sure.

I also brought in 2 new Free Agents for the upcoming week - Austin Daye and Kurt Thomas. Why them? Well, I drafted Daye at the start of the season and I still believe at some point Detroit is going to blow it up and let the young guys (Daye & Monroe) play. So, he plays 4 games and I hope he can provide a little spark to the Golden team. And Kurt Thomas was also brought in for his 4 game schedule. He's been blocking OK and grabbing a few rebounds so I figure I'd give him a go because my other Bigs only play 2 games this week.

I also have a tentative email accepted deal involving Serge Ibaka. I am close to acquiring a 3rd tier forward for the shot-blocker extraordinaire...I'm awaiting the other JBL owner to click accept after his email response said he liked the deal. I will be giving up a lot of blocks in the deal but I hope the guy I'm bringing in can help out Golden out in other categories. The other JBL team is looking for a potential keeper and Ibaka could be one at just $4 bucks. We'll see if the deal gets done in time for Week 12.

So, when it`s all said and done Golden will feature at least 6, and possibly 7, new starters for week 12. Big changes are needed if I`m going to even attempt to climb into the top tier of teams in the JBL. The next 4 weeks will shape the JBL standings and ultimately decide if I`m a buyer or a seller at the February 20th JBL keeper trade deadline. I`m looking forward to seeing how the new guys play. It will take a couple of days to remember who is on my team.

I have to admit, it was fun trying to piece together these deals and my `trade`screen on the JBL site had as many 7 offers for Ibaka and others at one point. I really think that come February`s trade deadline that the JBL will be very, very busy making deals.

The 2011 Trade Cherry Popped

Well, I thought I would get the ball rolling on the trading front for 2011. Last night I moved Luol Deng and Darren Collison for Dorell Wright and Francisco Garcia. Some will look at the deal and believe I got fleeced. Well, that could be the case. Or, it could be sheer genius for Golden and it could be the deal that cements Bangkok's position on top of the JBL standings. Bangkok does the deal because he gets Deng (a favorite of is even though he tried to convince me he doesn't like the guy) and he solidifies his weakest category ATO by getting Collison as well. So, why did I do the deal?

The first reason was to obtain Dorell Wright. He's $10 bucks and plays in Golden State's wide open offense. He also provides me the categories I need the most - steals and 3-point shooting. If I said at the beginning of the year that I would essentially be trading Deng for Wright I would have called myself crazy. Well now, let's look at their numbers for the 10/11 season.

PPG - Deng 18.2 - Wright 16.1
REB - Deng 6.0 - Wright 6.0
FG% - Deng 45.6 - Wright 42.1
3PT% - Deng 35.9 - Wright 40.8
ATO - Deng 1.058 - Wright 1.636
STL - Deng 25 - Wright 50
BLK - Deng 18 - Wright 27

Bottom line, Deng and Wright are VERY similar in stats but Dorell helps me in the 2 areas I need the most. Another factor in the deal was Golden having 3 Bulls on the squad. This deal diversifies my talent a little. And of course, yes, Golden is strongly considering keeping Wright for next season. He's just $10 bucks and other than FG% he helps your Fantasy team in every category.

Now, the 2nd part of the deal is where the deal appears to heavily favour Bangkok. This deal was initially going to be Ridnour for Garcia but ultimately Bangkok wanted Collison for Garcia. I'm OK with this as Collison has been disappointing and I don't like him in Indiana's current system. Frankly, I thought Ridnour would have helped Bangkok's ATO more as Collison has a 1.921 ATO and Ridnour's is 2.438.

Now, this deal from my perspective was against speculative because of Garcia's recent play. Garcia is now starting in Sacramento and the Kings have played better with him there. Hopefully he can remain a part of their starting lineup. However, even if he only is productive for a couple of weeks, by then, hopefully, I'll be able to re-insert a healthy Aaron Brooks into my lineup. Or I can go big with the return of Kendrick Perkins. But for now, I'm going with Garcia because he can shoot the 3 and get me more steals. Let's see how Garcia and Collison compare over their last 10 games.

Garcia - FG% 49%, 3PT% 48%, 11ppg, 3reb, 10stl, 9blk, 2.000 ATO
Collison - FG% 47%, 3PT% 36%, 13ppg, 4reb, 7stl, 0blk, 2.263 ATO

So you can see Garcia has been hot.
Who is the better fantasy player - without a doubt I will confirm it's Collison. However, it's January and my 3PT% sucks so it's time to try to make something happen. Again, if Garcia doesn't work out my fallback plan is Brooks or Perkins. So I am almost looking at this deal as Deng/Collison for Wright/Brooks or Wright/Perkins. It was worth the risk for me to try to improve in 3PT% and get another potential keeper for next season.

Now, the one down side to this deal (because it included Collison and not Ridnour) was that I am now under the $200 salary cap floor. I sit at $189 and need to add salary before Monday's scoring period begins.

I could sign a Free Agent (like Yao $12 or Haslem $10) and drop Beaubois and make a minor move. Or I can continue the revamp and move someone like Batum, Ibaka, Hawes, or Reddick. I offered them all up on the block. I have received several offers already.

French, Arctic, and Brussels have all submitted offers - some for players on the list and some for guys not on the list. I have also approached Belgrade, Brussels, Yuma and Juan de Fuca about potential deals.

The easiest way for me to get over the cap would be to move Batum ($1) for a guy like Troy Murphy ($28) or Jason Thompson ($28). But that depends on Brussels and Maui giving up on the potential of both those players being traded and being Fantasy relevant again. I don't believe either of those guys are options.

I could also approach Chilliwack for a player like Anthony Randolph. The Wack are free-falling in the JBL Standings due to injuries and he may be interested in adding a role player like Batum for a guy who is wasting away on his bench.

So, Saturday has become wheeling and dealing day and for a change it's a team trying to get UP to the salary floor rather than trying to get under the $300 salary cap. We'll see what Golden can do...

Monday Morning....

Well, Bangkok showed last week that his team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He won the week for the 1st time since week 3 and re-established a 100+ point lead. Look at his roster. Insane. Everyone on his team averaged in double digits last week. His team averaged over 1.5 steals per game as well. Man, I could use some of those!

After my recent top 15 potential keeper list I realized that I may have missed one guy from this very impressive Bangkok team. This guy averages 16ppg and 6reb per game. His FG% is 42% and he shoots 41% from downtown. His ATO is 1.694 and he has 45 steals and 26 blocks in 33 games. Other than his low FG% - this guy helps your Fantasy team in every other category. And you could protect all of this for just $15 bucks!! I never would have thought that Dorell Wright would be this valuable. I thought his hot start to the season would fade...but we're almost at the half way point of the season and Wright shows no signs of slowing down.

Golden and Arctic discussed a couple of trades over the weekend. I offered Arctic Eric Gordon and Tyrus Thomas for Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo. Arctic turned me down with the explanation that he really didn't want to shake things up right now because he was so close to the top.

Then, hours later, I received a 12 player trade offer from Arctic. The proposed deal from Arctic requested I send him Gordon, Boozer, Rose, Tyrus, Ibaka, and Reddick while I would get Blake Griffin, Beasley, Bass, Bledsoe, Calderon and Mayo. This was a clear "win" trade for Arctic. For Golden, all I would get out of this deal would be keeper Beasley. This is way too early for me to make this kind of deal - especially with me giving up my 3 best players and only receiving one keeper in return.

Idaho also sent over an offer late Sunday night. Tyreke Evans and DeAndre Jordan for LaMarcus Aldridge. This, in fairness to Tuna, was a decent offer. However, Tyreke is still nursing an injury and while Jordan has been very good, he's still inconsistent. And, simply, the L-Train is the best player in the deal and his numbers since becoming the #1 option in PDX are very impressive. He's posted 24 and 10 with a tendex of 26 in his last 10 games. I'm liking what he's doing.

The Golden squad is hovering around the 600 point plateau and still has some room to move. I am very close in PTS with 3 teams within reach. And I'm also close in rebounds, where I am within 100 rebounds of 4 teams. The 2 areas I still need to improve in desperately are 3PT% and steals. My acquisition of Aaron Brooks to shore up my 3-point shooting has failed miserably so far as he went 2/18 from downtown last week. Ugh. So, I brought in JJ Reddick to help out in this area as well. We'll see if this helps out...

Maui suffered another blow to his already thin roster when Caron Butler went down with a knee injury. The Maui roster still has some valuable assets when it comes time to gathering players for next season. Granger, Bogut, and Jamison should all be targets when it comes time to think about acquiring keepers.

There was some good news from Sunday as my Fantasy Football team "Short and Left" pulled out a victory on Sunday evening when my Seahawks defense pulled down enough points to win the championship game in the 'Real Fun Sunshine Panda Football League'. So, my Fantasy record in 2010 is now one last place finish (baseball) and one 1st place finish. And currently, my JBL squad falls right in the middle. Let's see how 2011 treats the Showers in the coming weeks.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2011 everyone! Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great night and a great 2010. When I look back at 2010 I keep thinking of how fast it went by. It seems just like yesterday that the JBL masses were in Las Vegas. Now, we're finishing up week 10 of the JBL season. Holy cow.

Anyways, with 2011 rolling in I thought it would be a good time to start looking at some potential keepers for next season. Remember, our keeper trade deadline is the NBA All-Star Weekend. And that weekend isn't that far away now. It's February 20th so we are about 7-8 weeks away. For those JBL teams who continue to struggle with mediocrity it's almost time to start thinking about building for 2011/12.

So, without further delay, I'm going to quickly go through some the top keepers (currently) for next season. Of course, as NBA players get traded, other great keepers could emerge in the coming weeks. My focus this morning is to look at those guys who would likely be bargains at their current price and in their current situation. And if I miss some guys...oh well. I'll list the players protected price beside his name...

Kevin Love $22 - 21ppg and 15reb. I know he doesn't do much else. But those numbers for $22 bucks are insane. What would he go for in the JBL Auction?? Way more than that!

Kevin Martin $22 - a 22ppg scorer who shoots it lights out from downtown. Another guy who doesn't contribute much anywhere else. However, I think if you see how close the PTS category is in the JBL these days it's clear that having big time scorers is recommended.

Amare Stoudamire $55 - 26 & 9 with 104 combined steals and blocks. Oh vey.

Luis Scola $23 - 20 & 8 for the always under-rated big man in Houston.

Tyreke Evans $23 - 17ppg, 5ast, 5reb. But can he stay healthy?

Eric Gordon $28 - The #10 scorer in the NBA at 24ppg. Again, points are good.

Michael Beasley $17 - 22 and 6 with good %'s. The Beaz found new life in Minnesota.

Rudy Gay $29 - 21 and 6 with 96 combined steals and blocks and good %'s. Lethal.

Joakim Noah $27 - 14 and 12 with BIG steals and blocks and good %'s.

Wilson Chandler $17 - 18 and 6 with 51 blocks. Quietly darn good.

Serge Ibaka $9 - big time shot-blocker gets 10 and 7 with 76 blks

Danilo Gallinari $12 - 15ppg and a 15 Tendex.

Carlos Boozer $35 - 21 and 10 and fitting in nicely in Chi-town.

Landry Fields $6 - the cheapest guy around that can get you 10 and 7 with a 15 Tendex.

Stephen Curry $20 - 19 and 6 with good %'s and steals in an injury filled year.

Well, there you have it, 15 of the top current keepers that JBL teams will be looking at protecting for next season. Others will emerge as NBA teams shuffle their deck chairs....

Will Ty Lawson will the starting PG in Denver at year's end?

Will Evan Turner be leading Philadelphia?

Can Tiago Splitter ever get consistent minutes in San Antonio?

Will Wesley Johnson emerge for Minnesota?

Can DeMar DeRozan be the #2 man in TO?

Has Anderson Varejao peaked as a player or can he bump up his numbers?

There are lots of players to keep your eyes on in the coming weeks...

Enjoy the New Year everyone. All the best for a happy and healthy 2011.

Cheers,

John