2011/12 Power Rankings!!

Well, for starters, I'd just like to say that this is my 200th JBL Chronicles post. Who would have thought I would have made that number? And just think - I might write as many articles as Bill Simmons in a year and I get paid about 1/10th of what he makes! Go figure. His stuff is better anyways...

And now, without further ado, it' time to announce the 2011/12 off season rankings heading into the 21st JBL season. Yes, it's still 6 months away but there's no time like the present to get a pecking order going. So, I'm basing these rankings on a few things (as I mentioned in my previous posts). It's about a team's JBL history; the last 5 years record; the last 3 years trend; last season's performance; who the team could protect; and of course a team's willingness and ability to sign quality FA's and make good trades.

So...with that in mind...here we go...

#13 - Belgrade Zombies

Firstly, let me say it again, this team needs a name change. Secondly, this is about the only real spot I can rank them right now. Marko's coming off a last place finish in his 2nd JBL season. His rookie campaign wasn't much better as he finished 11th. Belgrade has no keepers and no history to convince me to rank him higher. So, he'll have to earn his way out of the basement position. My biggest hope for 11/12 for Marko is a return to his trash-talking, article-writing, FA signing, and trade making ways that he showed us in his rookie season.

#12 - Manhattan Beach Ballers

Bobby Hucul is coming off an 11th place finish after a VERY long hiatus away from the JBL. To say he came back 'guns-a-blazin' wouldn't exactly be an accurate description. The Ballers finished 11th and really didn't do much about it. He didn't spend his FA dollars. He didn't make many trades. He only has 1 keeper for next season - although it could be a stud like Amare - but the MBB hasn't shown me enough willingness or 'activity' to be considered a JBL contender yet. I think it's safe to say that you can't draft a team in October and 'let it ride' to victory 7 months later. You have to make moves and upgrade along the way. Until the MBB shows me he can do that...the #12 hole is where he'll start the year ranked.

#11 - Maui Ribs

Trev will be back for his 21st JBL season. He's coming off a bit of a high since he finally beat the Golden squad. However, I think we all know the Golden squad of 10/11 was not a typical year for them. Over the last 5 years the Maui squad has finished 9-9-12-2-12. Take out that 2nd place finish and things aren't all that peachy in Trev-town. Trev was better this past season at picking up some FA's and making a couple of trades but the real key to a good season in Maui will be the JBL Auction. If Trev can avoid the 'night before' draft strategy talk at 2am in Las Vegas (like last season) then he could set himself up for a better season. However, until I see that pre-season prep being done - the Maui Ribs slot in at #11.

#10 - Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas

Hard to believe but it's been 10 years since Juan won the JBL title. This once always contending franchise has faltered over the last 3 seasons (10-7-9) but was better in 2007 (4th) and 2006 (2nd). So, what's happened? Could it be the 3-headed monster syndrome of having too many cooks in the kitchen? Is it poor trades? Is it poor drafting? What is it that has made the Yo Mamas an afterthought in the world of JBL contenders to start a season? The past couple of years I have always maintained that Juan would be there but they just haven't lived up to the hype. So, I'm not buying into this season (yet). I'm not a fan of their keeper options despite them having 2 slots. So, for now, I'm going on the most recent 3 year trend of this team (10th, 7th, 9th) and slotting them in the #10 hole for now. Maybe this low ranking will encourage them to have a great draft and get back into JBL contention.

#9 - Yuma Thurmans

Year 2 of Pat's return to the JBL look eerily similar to his first year back. Back to back 8th place finishes earn Pat the #9 hole to start the 2011 off season. I love what Pat brings to the Auction room but after that he kind of fades of into the background. Yuma was very quiet during the 2010/11 season as he was away adventuring all over the world apparently and didn't have internet access. Where did he go? Siberia? Anyways, not much to speak of in terms of FA signings or trades from Yuma this past year. Yuma has 3 keeper spots for next season and I think those will help him build his team for next season. However, until Chubby shows me more than back to back 8th place finishes - I'm slotting him in at #9 on the power rankings.

#8 - Brussels Muscles

This time last year Brussels came in as the 3rd ranked off season team. This year, after a 7th place finish he comes in at #8. The Muscles last 3 years are OK (7-10-6) so it appears like he's a middling team. Going back another couple of seasons we find a 3rd and a 4th. So what will we see in 2011? Brussels has 3 keeper spots available and some good talent coming back so the potential is there. But last season, with Tyreke and Durant on board, we saw Brussels struggle on draft night and early in the season and he made some major changes. He actually finished the 2nd half of the JBL season strong to move up to 7th. So, as with most JBL teams, the draft will be key for Brussels success in 2011. For now, based on the history, the Muscles come in at #8.

#7 - Idaho Udapimps

But Johnny, how can the 3rd place team from last season come in at #7? Well, I'll tell you. Because the year before last, Idaho finished 12th. If there is anything consistent about Idaho - it's his inconsistency. The last 5 years look like this - 3-12-4-6-10. He can be really good. And he can be really bad. So, what will we see in 2011? He has 4 keeper spots available but doesn't have much cheap talent. He could spend big bucks and keep Lebron and Howard, but for those prices you may as well just draft those guys at Auction. So, we'll have to see how Idaho does this season. For now, I'm willing to put him smack dab in the middle of the pack because I'm not sure how he's going to far this season. But to be fair, I'm not sure he knows yet either.

#6 - Golden Showers

The 7 time JBL champ comes in at #6 to start the 2011 off season. We all know about the worst season in franchise history this past year but based on Golden's overall track record I think we all expect a bounce back season. Do I really have to remind everyone? Prior to last seasons debacle Golden had back-to-back 2nd place finishes. Golden will likely be starting the year with Kevin Love in the fold and plans to have a much better draft night this October. So for now, the Golden squad will have to climb his way to the top.

#5 - French Lick Celtics

The French squad comes in at #5 in the power rankings. This is based strongly on his 5 year history (4-5-8-5-5). See all those 5th place finishes? French is loaded with strong keepers for next season and could finally break through to the top 3 in 2011. With a good draft in October French could get out of the gate a lot better and maybe lead the pack for a change. It always seems he's coming from the rear. Which, in some sports and activities, is the best thing to do. But I digress. French is a dangerous fantasy team because he cares. He puts the time in and makes moves in attempt to improve his team. Gotta love the big man Hildy.

#4 - Bangkok Fighters

The greatest 2nd place team of all time is back yet again to try and knock off his arch-rival Seoul Brothers. But Johnny, a #4 ranking? What gives? Well, despite a wicked 2010/11 season, let's not forget our overall Bangkok history. Yes, the past 2 years have gone well (2nd and 3rd) but prior to that we're looking at 7th, 8th, and a 7th. Has Rick figured out how to be successful in the JBL (notice I didn't say 'win')?? Maybe he has but I still think there are 3 JBL teams better positioned so far to claim the JBL crown. Rick will bring back 4 players and should be ready to compete, again, for a chance to claim his 1st JBL title.

#3 - Arctic Circle Jerks

The Jerks are primed for a big year in 2011. He will have 3 very undervalued keepers and has a 5 year track record of 5-6-5-11-3. I think the Jerks, going into the Auction, will have the best starting group of players of any JBL team and will have to build on them during the draft. If he performs well at Auction and loosens up on his willingness to make trades he could be poised to win it all in 2011. I'm looking for a big season in Arctic this year.

#2 - Chilliwack Offs

The Offs are another ready to pounce in 2011. Benny has this team positioned very well for next season. He will have 3 wicked keepers and has the pedigree with 3 JBL titles to his name. His last 5 years are probably a bit disappointing (6-4-3-9-8) but I think with his new found Excel spreadsheet and the kid Blake Griffin leading the way that this team could be a real threat to win it all. Benny is always willing to make the trades and sign FA's so he always give himself a chance to be competitive and win it all. Look out for the mighty Offs in 2011.

#1 - Seoul Brothers

Hey, JBL owners, come on guys, let's make it tough for Philly Woo in 2011. Did you really expect anyone else to be #1 going into next season? The guy has won 3 straight titles! He's won 5 overall (in 16 years). I wouldn't care if Phil didn't have any keepers for next season - he would have the #1 spot. His last 5 years look like this - 1-1-1-10-6 - so there is a chance he could falter but I'm not counting on it. Besides, Woo has 3 potential keepers (Hayes, Allen, KG) who all do good things. Woo is always prepared on draft day and always finds good bargains. He watches the waiver wire closely and is willing to make trades. Let's face it, he puts a LOT of time into the JBL every year (every day) so of course his teams' are going to be competitive but that should be a motivator for the rest of us to work harder.

So, there you have it fellas...the 1st edition of the 2011 off season power rankings. How will they change once the NBA draft occurs? And what about Free Agency? Will we see some changes in the Rankings? Is Idaho ranked too low? Is Bangkok ranked too low? Can Seoul become the 1st team ever to win 4 straight titles? Can Belgrade prove he's not as bad as the stats show? Can Yuma or MBB come out of nowhere to shock the JBL standings? We'll have to see how the JBL teams' build their squads in October. For now, enjoy the NHL playoffs...

Not My Cup of Tea....

Yes, I am close to releasing my 1st edition of the offseason power rankings. I've just about got them sorted out - based on an owner's overall history, past 5 years, past 3 years, last season, owner activity in FA's and trades, and potential keepers. So, I'm close. For the 3 of you loyal readers - it's coming.

But for tonight, while I sit at home and watch Game #1 of the Canucks vs. Predators, I thought I'd take an opportunity to go over some NBA players that I just don't like to have on my fantasy team. Most of these guys could be really good in a couple of categories but they end up killing you in others. My long list over the last 20 years even includes the likes of Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Gilbert Arenas and others. These are the guys who you have to plan around to make up for their deficiencies. For example, if you were going to have a crummy shooter like Iverson on your team you better make sure you have someone with great FG% to make up for his crappy FG%...

Anyways, here are some of my favorite (or is it least favorite) of these guys from last year.

Stephen Jackson - sorry, I'm just not a fan. I like his ability to score close to 20ppg but his %'s suck. Last year he shot 41% and 33% while taking a tonne of 3-pointers. Those numbers can't be good for your overall %'s. He used to be great for 120+ steals but managed just 80 last year. He's getting older and is becoming a more of an injury risk. So, S-Jax, you can ply your trade somewhere else in the JBL next season.

Corey Maggette - I've never been a fan of this ball hog. Even when he was in Golden State and was allowed to jack up shots all the time. Last year in Milwaukee, in 67 games, he managed 21 steals! Wow, nice work Corey. Sorry, but he doesn't do enough to help your fantasy team when he isn't scoring 20+ points per game. Last year, in Scott Skiles system, where no one knows how many minutes they are going to play on nightly basis, Maggette became an afterthought. No thanks Corey, I'll pass.

Charlie Villenueva - why on earth did Joe Dumars sign this guy to a big contract? And if you signed him for all that money, why wouldn't you play him? Charlie V has become nothing more than 5th forward on your fantasy team who is probably better left to be picked up as a FA rather than drafted on Auction night. He does nothing particularly well and is really average across the board. As long as you know what you're getting with Chuck - an average player who will be great one night and disappear the next then you'll never be disappointed. For me, I'll let someone else take Charlie V.

Ben Gordon - gee, I hate to pick on Joe D's FA signings but Ben Gordon, since his departure form the Bulls, has become a complete fantasy afterthought. Now, that could change if he ever starts at SG in Detroit. However, last year, in 82 games, his Tendex was 9.1. That's ridiculous for anyone who understands how Tendex works. At least Gordon can help you in 3PT% but he doesn't do much else. He wasn't much better in Chicago, but at least he was 20ppg plus that good 3PT%. Now, in Motown, he averages 11ppg and does little else. I'd consider him if he was going to start, but in his current role as 6th man in Detroit, I'll pass.

Nick Young - Mr. Young is a very good basketball player and does deserve a place on your fantasy roster. But you know what, I want more from the guys who play in Golden. Young can score and shoots decent but does little else to help your fantasy squad. Did you know in 65 games last season he had 75 assists. Really? 75 assists for a shooting guard?? Channing Frye, Anthony Tolliver, and Manny Harris had more assists. He's not going to help you in FG%, ATO, steals, blocks or rebounds so he's really just there to score and shoot 3's. Would I draft him - yes. Would I "target" him as a player I really wanted for my team - absolutely not. If he ends up in Golden next season it's because he's going for cheap.

Aaron Brooks - I add him to this list because he burned me this past season. Now, he's in PHX behind Nash and he seems to have forgotten how to shoot. So, he's banned!

So there you have it - a short list of players that I just don't have any time for when it comes to planning my JBL draft. No matter where I am for this year's Auction - I promise to spend all of my allotted $260 bucks. I will be better prepared this season - just in case I start drinking at 10am again prior to the draft. Golden revival coming in 2011/12.

Best Keepers for 2011/12

Well, with the Canucks on the verge of a major catastrophe I thought I would take a few minutes to look ahead to the JBL's 21st season. With the exception of Belgrade, who has no keepers, every JBL should be bringing back some talent with them into the JBL Auction. Going over the rosters though, it's pretty clear that some teams have much better keeper talent than others. So, I decided the old 'grade' system would apply the best. A, B, or C grades is all I'm handing out this season.

So, how do I determine who has the best keepers?? I base it on market value of the player and how many quality keepers that team has. Don't get me wrong - the 'best keeper' list does not replace the 'off season JBL power rankings' that will come out in the summer after the NBA draft is done.

With those guidelines in place...here we go.

Idaho - C

Sorry Tuna. As good as your team was last year (3rd) you don't have a great group of guys to bring back. Sure, you could keep Lebron and Dwight but they aren't great bargains are there? And really, are you keeping Sonny Weems, Goran Dragic or JJ Redick? None of them excite me at all. I guess you could just protect Lebron and/or Dwight and have your superstud already on board on Draft night. Or, you could wipe the slate clean and start again. The good news is that you didn't have any keepers going into last season and you still came in 3rd.

Juan de Fuca - C -

The Yo Mamas are eligible to bring back 2 guys. Honestly, I don't see much in terms of great value for protection. I like Arron Afflalo but he's already $8 bucks. I like Cousins - but he would be $32 bucks. The old Kenyon Martin would be worth $8 bucks - but are you going to gamble on those knees? I'm not sure I see a keeper in the bunch here.

Yuma - B -

Chubby can bring back 3 guys for next season. I like what Kris Humphries brings for $15 bucks. And year after year Paul Pierce puts up solid numbers. Is he worth the $27 bucks? Mike Conley isn't flashy but he's serviceable and gets a lot of steals for just $14 bucks. And the aging veteran Grant Hill had an awesome year and could be back for $7 bucks - although he's always an after-thought it seems on draft day. Others to consider would be S-Jax and Steve Nash - although Captain Canada is getting older and slower every year.

Maui - B

Trev can bring back 2 players and while he doesn't have any 'locks' in terms of great keepers he does have guys with lots of potential. How about Ed Davis in TO for just $15. The kid was pretty darn good with Bargnani out of the lineup last season and who knows what the Raptors will look like next year. And where will Sammy D end up? He could be a good Center for just $11 bucks. Does AK47 get rejuvenated when he signs with Prokorhov in New Jersey? And will Jamison still be in Cleveland? Lots of risk/reward type of keepers in Maui so he'll have to see how rosters shape up as the JBL draft approaches.

Manhattan Beach - B

Bobby Hucul has just 1 keeper spot open to him and it really comes down to 3 players. Does he keep the sure thing and protect Amare? Or does he take the bargain and keep either Batum or Landry Fields for just $6 bucks. Fields isn't spectacular anywhere but ticks a lot of boxes. I know what the JBL King Philly Woo would say - keep the kid and save the dough for the draft.

Golden - B+

The Showers are loaded with multiple potential keepers but is only able to keep 1 of them. Barring a major knee injury the obvious choice is Kevin Love. His 20 and 15 stat line is too good to let back in the draft at this price. Sure, he could steal and block more but his rebounding numbers and %'s are just too good to pass up. Now, that being said, Golden may try to use his other potential keepers (Gay, Gordon, Scola, Wright, etc) to pry other keepers away from other teams so they can't protect certain players. You didn't think I would just sit idle all summer and not attempt to shake things up did you?

Brussels - B+

The Muscles have 3 spots open for their 11/12 roster and have already reduced their choices down to 4 players - Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, and Kyle Lowry. In my view, there are 3 obvious choices but it's obviously wise to hold onto all your options just in case of injury. Lowry, Lawson, and Holiday are up and coming PG's in the league and if Brussels kept the 3 of them then he could focus on big men in the JBL draft. Or, he could look at the upside of a Gallinari and his potential to tick a lot of categories in the high tempo Denver offense. Timbo's got a good group here to choose from.

Bangkok - B+

With 4 spots available Rick will certainly be using them all heading into next year's draft. While he doesn't have a Stephen Curry or a Kevin Love - he does have some good talent. Aldridge emerged as a leader in PDX and averaged 22 and 9 with 83 steals and 94 blocks on the season. That has to be worth $40 bucks doesn't it? And what about JJ Hickson's late season emergence?In the 2nd half of the NBA season, Hickson averaged 16 and 11 with almost 1 blk per game. Is that worth $22 bucks? Some other potential keepers include Luol Deng (category stuffer), Thaddeus Young (could have a new NBA home), and the new starting SG in PHX - Jared Dudley? He's just $1 buck and check out his 2nd half season numbers!! While Rick doesn't have the Curry/Westbrook/Gay/Kaman combo like last year - he still has the potential to be starting with a very talented roster before the draft even begins.

Seoul - B

The Brother were eligible to protect 4 players but Phil has already reduced his roster to just 3 guys. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Chuck Hayes. I'll bet French Lick is disappointed to see 2 of his Celtics already locked up for next season. And Chuck Hayes? Really? Well, yes, check out his 2nd half numbers folks. If the Rockets don't upgrade in the middle and he's still the man - isn't $7 bucks a bargain? And really - who are we to question whether that's a good value? If Philly Woo is keeping someone - then it's the right thing to do - because he's Philly Woo!

French - A-

I really like 3 teams keepers more than all the rest. And yes, French Lick is one of those teams. Stephen Curry for just $20 bucks is awesome. And remember, he can bring back 4 players (or 33% of a starting lineup) because of his 4th place finish last season. Along with Curry, he has Wilson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan, Amir Johnson, and Chris Kaman. Both Kaman and Jordan could get significant boosts in Fantasy value if the Clippers move one of them. I wonder if the long rumored Kaman for Tayshaun Prince deal will ever get done? Doesn't a starting LAC lineup of Mo Williams, Eric Gordon, Prince, Blake and DeAndre sound nice?? Anyways, back to French. I love the potential makeup of this team because his keeper talent is cheap and he'll still have lots of money in his pocket for draft night.

Chilliwack - A

The Wack has 3 spots for next season and he has a lot of talent on his roster to choose from. He has the man-child Blake Griffin. I know Blake is $49 bucks but come on, wouldn't you pay $54 to have this guy on your team? In his rookie season - he average 23 and 12. Come on man! The kid's a beast and worth way more than $54. I don't think the 'Wack will let him go. The Offs also have one of the more under-rated Centers in the NBA in Marcin Gortat. With his move to PHX he became a 2nd half stud averaging 15 and 10 while shooting 57%. Throw in 55 blocks and you have the making of a $40 dollar center. Well, Benny will be keeping him for just $15 bucks (or so I'm guessing). Benny could double up in the middle and bring back Joakim Noah for $27 bucks. I think with Blake, Gortat, and Noah on board that the Wack would be OK for rebounds. Or, Benny would choose from Calderon or Lou Williams if looking for a cheaper option. Lots of excellent choices in Chilliwack for sure.

Arctic - A+

The Jerks are loaded with keeper talent and can keep 3 guys for next season. I'm kind of thankful for his non-money spot finish because it means he'll have to throw back some very good keepers because he just doesn't have room for all of them. Crikker could go with a $10 dollar DeRozan. Double D emerged as the Raptors go-to scorer this season and in the 2nd half of the season he averaged 20ppg. Anytime you get a 20ppg guy for $10 bucks you should be thanking your lucky stars. Crikker could bring back Tyreke for $23 bucks. After a phenomenal rookie season, Evans took a step back this season due to injury but he could rebound and be a stat-stuffer for a very decent price. Crikker could choose the Kevin Martin option for just $22 dollars. Long known as an injury risk, K-Mart played in 80 games this season and averaged 23ppg while hitting a tonne of 3's. Another option would be shot-blocking sensation Serge Ibaka for just $9 dollars. He had 198 blocks this season - more than anyone else in the league and is now the PF starter in OKC. He's only going to get better. And if that isn't enough, Arctic could bring back Mr. Cornrows himself - Michael Beasley. Although I can't stand the guy - he did average 19 and 6 with 54 steals and 52 blocks and he would only be $17 dollars for next season. So, Chris has 5 really good value keepers, who would all go for more than their keeper price in the auction - and his dilemma is that he can only keep 3 of them!! And I didn't even touch on the more expensive guys on his roster that he could consider - like Al Horford or Carmelo. But what a great dilemma to have. Lucky guy you...

Well, there you have it fellas. All the keepers and teams broken down for your perusal. Don't forget, after October 1st, we'll open up offseason trading (3 weeks before the JBL auction) so you might want to consider scoping out who has the best keepers just in case you want to make a move. Enjoy the summer. I'll be checking in from time to time with my random thoughts on the potential NBA lockout, the NBA draft, and the offseason moves.

Strangely Familiar...

Riddle me this Canuck fans....what the hell is going on??

All year the Canucks were the best team. From week to week they were always perched atop the power rankings. All year they were the envy of the league. Everything Mike Gillis touched was turning to gold as he pushed all the right buttons with the squad. He made some crafty moves during the year picking up some players to add depth. And despite some injuries the Canucks always had someone to plug into their lineup and they just chugged along remaining on the top of the standings. From day one they appeared to be a far superior team than the Blackhawks.

Even for the first 3 games of this series, the Canucks looked like the better team, although they had some lucky breaks along the way to help them to a 3-0 lead. Now, in games 4 and 5 the Blackhawks look like they have the Canucks number and there is nothing Vancouver can do about it.

So - are the Canucks choking?? Or are the Blackhawks simply a better team that are peaking at the right time? Or is the Canucks team really not that good after all??

This scenario looks strangely familiar to me...

Go back to that first paragraph above and replace the word "Canucks" with "Bangkok Fighters" and replace 'Mike Gillis' with "Rick" and replace 'Blackhawks' with 'Seoul Brothers'.

So - did the Bangkok team choke? Or was Seoul simply a better team that peaked at the right time? It's an interesting debate for sure....But I can guarantee you this - if the Canucks pull off the ultimate choke - they will get more press about it than Bangkok did...the Chronicles simply doesn't have the readership of TSN or ESPN.

Money Spots!

Well, it's been a couple of weeks now since the NBA regular season has ended. The Playoffs are under way and the JBL's 20th season is almost a distant memory. But I did want to quickly cover off the leagues top 4 teams.

French Lick - finally, Hildy found a home in the money spot. After a few narrow misses he claimed a place at the dinner table. Sure, it's not the penthouse and he doesn't have the green jacket - but it's a good step forward. French used many different players this season and maybe most notably - very few of them were Celtics. Because he didn't have to factor in what his heart was telling to do - he was able to focus on the squad and his rock was Timmy Duncan. 73 man games for the aging veteran. Gone are the days of 20 and 10 but Timmy is still a solid horse to have on the team. And Hildy brings back one of the top keepers in the JBL in Stephen Curry so he is primed for another big year in the JBL next season.

Idaho - 3rd place??? Holy cow! He went from worst to 3rd? Tuna wasn't able to protect a single player on draft night yet somehow drafted a very good team; made some decent trades; signed some quality FA's; and ended up in 3rd place. Well done young one. I think there is one name that can pretty much explain a great deal of Idaho's success - Dwight Howard. His monstrous season was the backbone of the Idaho squad. Now, that being said, Idaho did manage to bring some other serious talent on his roster throughout the season. The Pimps employed Lebron, Monta, D-Rose, D-Williams, Paul Pierce, Iguodala, Kevin Martin and others during the season. That's some serious all-NBA talent. Has Tuna figured it out? Does he know what it takes to win the big prize? I guess we'll see how Tuna does next season as he will be able to protect 4 players for next year's draft. Good luck Tuna. And the best of all, Idaho plays for free next year as Golden will be paying his entry fee due to a side-bet that Anthony cleaned up on.

Bangkok - 2nd place. I know everyone is expecting me to tear the house that Rick built down to the ground. I'm not going to do that. Look, bottom line, Bangkok led the JBL for 20 weeks. It wasn't until week 21 that Seoul overtook him and never looked back. Up until that time, Bangkok was being talked about as maybe one of the greatest JBL teams of all time. So yes, Rick had a good year. But it was a 2nd place year. Rick's statement that his point total remained around 1100 all year is valid - but when you don't win - that doesn't matter anymore. Would you rather have 1100 points and finish 2nd or have 880 points and win the JBL title??? The point is - the JBL (and any fantasy pool) is about winning it all. Finishing 1st. Claiming a crown. It's not about consistently finishing in the top 6. It's not about never finishing last. It's about one thing....

So yes Rick, your team had a good year. You finished 2nd. You will remember that. The rest of us will remember another Seoul victory and how he passed you at the end of the season to claim his 3rd straight title and his 5th overall. The only question left - did you do everything possible to try and counteract Phil's rise in the standings when it looked like he was in a position to pass you?? If you think you did - then you should be able to sleep at night. Because if you had gone wire to wire for your 1st JBL title - or even just managed to pull it out and win on the last day - you may have had another title to your mantle....

Seoul Brothers - 3rd in a row. 5th overall. 4 of the last 6 titles! The Burmese Man has done it again. He's now public enemy #1 in the JBL. He's the King. He's got the secrets. And it never hurts when EVERYTHING he touched this year turned to GOLD. He signed Marcus Thornton as a FA for $3 bucks and the guy averaged over 21ppg for Seoul. He grabbed Jordan Crawford off the waiver wire too. He drafted well. He traded well. He signed FA's. And he got lucky in some regards. Yes, Philly Woo, you've done it. You've become the Gold standard in the JBL and the rest of us are all chasing you. Well done. The 20th season of the JBL will be remembered not for Golden's 12th place debacle or the fact that Bangkok couldn't hold a lead. It will be remembered for Seoul's dominating performance where you were 1st in three categories; 2nd in three categories and 7th in ATO. Your point total was 1183 and the team you put together in 2010/11 was the BEST JBL team of all time. Yes, I said it. "Best of all time". And everyone who finished below you in the standings - whether they were 2nd or 13th - we just didn't measure up. You are the new JBL King. You are the Prime Minister. Chief Poobah. High Commander. You are the President and we are your auto-tuners...

Well boys, that's all for now...up next....who has the best keepers for next season...stay tuned.

Non-Money Winners...

Well, as the 20th JBL season slowly starts to become a memory my desire to provide in depth reports on each team (for the 6 guys who read this blog) is starting to diminish. So, I'm going to be making them much shorter in the coming days. And this morning, I'm going to deal/address with 11th all the way up to....we'll see. And I'm going to focus less on players and more on the owners actions...just because.

11th - Manhattan - This was the return of Bobby Hucul to the JBL in many years. Now, despite the success that he can claim he beat Golden - that's about the only positives this season really. Bob did his best Pearl Necklaces impression and acted like an absent owner for most of the season. It's inconceivable how a fantasy team, with a $130 Free Agent budget, can only manage to spend $6 bucks over a 6 month period. I don't get it. The Ballers were in the middle of the pack the entire season and there wasn't anyone on the waiver wire who could help his team?? Marcus Thornton? Jordan Crawford? And how many trade offers did you RECEIVE from MBB? Any? The JBL needs a much more active MBB in 2011/12.

10th - Juan de Fuca - this once proud franchise has now gone 10 years since it's JBL title. It seems like more than that. The Juan team struggled for most of the season and their real focus was just getting out of the basement to try and cover a side-bet with Bangkok. For many years, Juan was always considered a title contender in the JBL. However, the last 3 years now read 10th, 9th, and 7th in the standings and it appears they are going through the 'down cycle' of fantasy basketball. Is 3 cooks in the kitchen finally becoming an issue? It will be interesting to see how Juan responds next season after their arch rivals Bangkok, for the 3rd straight season, finished ahead of them in the standings.

9th - Maui Ribs - despite a horrible start to the season the Maui Ribs played the role of spoiler for part of the season. The Maui season was doomed from draft-day in my opinion as he didn't have any bonafide fantasy stars and his team was destined for mediocrity. Maui was very good in 3PT% (3rd), Blocks (3rd) and rebounds (5th) but struggled in the other categories. Trevor was at least active in the Free Agent market and did make a couple of trades. But overall, this was a typical transaction season from Trev - quiet. Despite the 9th place finish, this was a historic season for Maui because after 20 years of JBL action, Maui finally finished ahead of the Golden Showers. Well done Trev, well done.

8th - Yuma Thurmans - Chubby grabbed the coveted 8th place spot (3 keepers) by a measly 4 points. I don't know if he would be excited about that fact or not as Pat was very quiet this past JBL season. I ask you again - did you receive a trade offer from Yuma? Yuma, like MBB, spent a paltry $26 bucks on FA's this season and made just 2 trades. So, the question is - did Yuma think his team was good enough to move up in the standings as is? I'm not sure whether Pat (or Bob) were really into this year. It would be interesting to see what they would do if they were actually in contention. Maybe next year.

7th - Brussels Muscles - the last of our also-rans at least I can honestly say Tim tried everything to improve his team and I know he had fun doing it. Kudos to Timmy P for making the JBL fun. Trade offers, FA signings, trash talk or whatever it is - Tim loves the JBL and he's a favorite owner of mine for sure. I mean if we looked at Brussels and Yuma and their 7th and 8th place finishes - at least Tim made it interesting - and isn't that what fantasy pools are supposed to be? Fun? Tim, like other active JBL owners, isn't afraid to make a deal even if there is risk he may not win the trade. He takes chances. He's active in the pool. Thanks for being you Timmy.

6th - Chilliwack Offs - another long time JBL'er came up just short in his pursuit of the money spot. I liked this team on Vegas draft night. How could you not when Benny whips out that Excel spreadsheet and explains the reasoning and logic behind his every pick? Even on the last night of the season - Benny was still in contention for 4th. And I like his keeper talent for next season so I'm expecting another big season from the Wack. Why is Benny always in contention? Cause he cares and tries. I think we're seeing a theme here fellas.

5th - Arctic Circle Jerks - another heart-breaking finish for the Jerks. That makes the last 3 season read like this 5th, 6th, and 5th and pretty much losing out on the money spot in the last week or even on the last night. If I've learned anything, Crikker is now in the 'automatic contender' category every season. He puts in the time. He makes trades. He signs FA's. And he does his homework prior to the JBL draft. Well done Crikker...you're so close. Although I do think I figured out why you missed out on the money spot - no podcasts. May I suggest an off-season wrap up podcast in the near future?

Well guys, that's it for this morning. I'll cover off the best 4 teams in the coming week. I think we can all see what it takes to be successful in the JBL (or in any fantasy pool). The teams that 'try' and put some or any time into the pool will (typically) finish higher in the standings. I know Golden's 12th place finish doesn't support that theory - but trust me - 7 JBL titles in 20 years say otherwise.

Thought I would include a fitting video to show that it is all about 'trying'. It applies in the JBL, life, or even singing. If you take anything away from this video take these:

• no matter how bad you are - keep trying
• at some point, you just can't go any higher (or get any better)
• always remember facial expressions are important.

Cut and paste this URL in your browser and remember to always try in life...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQISnFx2sg

A Golden Disaster

Well, it's finally over the 2010/11 Golden Showers. The 20th JBL season was not what I had hoped it would be. In my head, it was supposed to be a celebration of the league and I had hoped I would be in the chase for another title. Our JBL posse gathered in Las Vegas for an epic draft and that afternoon I essentially destroyed any chance of my team winning the title.

Let's rewind to that fateful morning in Vegas when Benny and Trev returned with the Keg of Heineken and a 24 pack of beer. Sure, it was 10am, but maybe I should have held off just a bit. Oh well, what can you do. When the draft was over it was pretty apparent that I had not used all of my allotted $260 spending money. Instead, I had spent $221 while leaving $39 bucks on the table. Whoops.

My team, after week 1, had an astonishing 190 points(ish) and I was in rebuild mode for the rest of the season. Every Free Agent signing and trade was high risk in hopes of finding that hidden gem. Every trade was in hopes of finding someone who could right my sinking ship. By about the midway point of the season it became obvious I wasn't a title contended and began to stockpile cheap talent for next season in hopes of building a dominant group of players. I had Dorell Wright, Luis Scola, LA12, and then added Rudy Gay and Kevin Love. In the end, none of it mattered as I my team for the last few weeks has been playing with just 9 guys. I am destined for 12th and 1 keeper. His name is Kevin Love.

Look, I admit it and the facts don't lie - this Golden Showers team is the worst in the 20 year history of the league. I sucked balls. I drafted poorly. I mis-managed my free agent dollars. I made shitty trades. And I blew it across the board. I can admit it. I sucked. But you know what, I did everything I could to TRY and have the best possible keepers for next season. Whether you finish 5th or 12th - does it really matter? What are we trying to do here? I don't know about you - I'm trying to win. So, I'm proud of the my efforts for at least trying to improve during the season and then trying to get good keepers for next season. You can't fault me for that.

So with this disastrous season behind me (almost), I have already started planning for next year's JBL draft. I am more focused than ever. Philly Woo is about to win his 5th title and 3rd in a row. Has he become the new JBL king? There are plenty of arguments and reasons to crown him king. But I am hoping for a big year next season and I will do everything I can to make sure this 2010/11 season is forgotten.

So, let me put to bed this laughable season and cry just one last time....

Belgrade - 2011 Year in Review

Well, as you can imagine, this won't take long...

First of all though, before I begin, let me apologize for my absense. The last month at work has been crazy as I've been going through a management posting at work so there have been lots of interviews and such. That being said, there is an obvious correlation between my shittiness in Golden and the number of blog posts. But don't worry, I'll be busy in the next little while doing years in review on here while creating a much shorter article on the JBL site directing everyone to here to read the 2011 summaries.

So, let's begin. I will start at 13th and work my way to the top. It's Tuesday, April 12th and I'll try to have them finished by the end of the month. I think we know who's going to win and I think we know where the parade will start and end.

Belgrade. What's happened? Well, I can tell you what happened. Crisis all over the world happened. For those of you who don't know, I will attempt to explain Marko's job (hopefully I do it justice). Marko is in Intelligence gathering and monitoring. If there is a crisis in the world (Egypt, Libya, Japan) his job is monitor online traffic and social media to determine if there are security threats of items of interest that could be of concern. Well, unless you've been living in a cave, the world has been in crisis for the last few months - which means Marko is busy at work and not worried about his 13th place Belgrade squad.

Now, that being said, let's go back to the very beginning and look at what happened on October 23rd - JBL Draft day. After the draft Marko's roster included Bosh, Carmelo, and Monta. Not a bad big three. The supporting cast included Odom, DeRozan, and an injured Andrew Bynum. Again, not a horrible nucleus but he really missed on some of his other draftees.

Belgrade took a chance on Linas Kleiza for $15 - that one failed big time. If it's any consolation, I'm pretty sure I was the guy who bid $14. He also drafted Rip Hamilton, Udonis Haslem (who blew a knee a couple games in), Mehmet Okur (injured) and Josh Childress. He took some chances on guys and he swung and missed.

Now, after Chris Bosh got off to a horrible start - he sold him low for Devin Harris. This was the beginning of the fall for Belgrade. The age old no-no of trading big (Bosh) for small (Harris) really applied here. Despite his hair and what he did to the Raptors - you just can't trade Bosh for Harris one week into a fantasy season. Lesson learned.

Belgrade's highest spot in the standings was after week 1. He was in 5th with 767 points. From there - downhill all the way. By week 7, he was in 12th place with 388 points. By the halfway point (week 12) he was down to 290 points and still in 12th. Belgrade took over 13th for good in week 16 and has been there ever since. His low point total for the year was 283 (good for 4th worst all time in the JBL).

With his 13th place finish there will be no keepers in Belgrade next season. He'll be starting fresh. El fresco. Will the world find peace so Marko can focus on the JBL next season? Belgrade's first two seasons in the JBL have been 11th and 13th place finishes. Year three needs to be a good one for him to show the rest of those JBL non-believers that he gets the world of fantasy basketball. Remember when he joined the JBL? He was passionate. He posted more articles in his rookie season than the rest of the JBL combined. His 2nd year in the JBL began poorly with an average draft; quickly deteriorated with the bad trade of Chris Bosh; and then completely failed with the disasters in Egypt and every where else around the world.

In his rookie year Belgrade entered the JBL record books by shooting an all-time worst 32.1% from downtown. Well, in year two, it looks like he will get another all-time worst - in a couple of categories - Blocks and Rebounds. So, I don't think it's very good when you own 3 all-time worst category records (in a 7-cat league) when you've only been in the league for 2 seasons!

In other news, Marko will be in Vancouver from April 15th to 25th I believe and I plan on hooking up with him. I will keep everyone posted about what night and where in case you JBL-lovers want to join us.

So there really wasn't much 'good' news out of Belgrade this year. And I'm still urging for a name change by the way. But for all you JBL'ers who thought Marko didn't get enough for Kevin Love when he traded him to Golden - appears that was the straw that broken Golden's back. I was looking at 3 keepers for next season until I acquired Love. So, maybe Marko did have an impact on the JBL this season - he helped assure Golden of their worst finish in 20 years of fantasy basketball. Well done Belgrade. Well done.

For your efforts this season and your 13th place finish - I award you a song that will be very difficult to get out of your head. Chocolate Rain. Listen to it once, from start to finish, and it will be in your head for a very long time.

Status Update...

Well, week 23 is almost in the books. Seoul continues to lead Bangkok by around 70 points. The championship race has almost become anti-climatic with Seoul apparently unstoppable and un-catchable at this point in the season. However, there is time, as NBA teams will be undoubtedly shutting down some of the better players to rest for the playoffs. Seoul has some of those shut-down candidates in KG, Ray Allen, and others.

What will the 20th season in the JBL be remembered for?

I think the first thing everyone will think of will the draft in Vegas. It was awesome. We had almost everyone right there in that Mandalay hotel room. The banter, the beer, the pizza, the comraderie, it was almost perfect.

The season was dominated by Bangkok for the most part. His team led the way for about 75% of the season. He was in 1st place on every single night for about 4 months. He was chatty on the Live Scoreboard; he made good deals; he signed the best Free Agents - everything was going so well.

All along though, in the background, there was his arch-nemesis, lurking, watching, probably touching himself, just waiting to make his move. The Seoul Brothers were after the 3-peat and were in the hunt all the time. Seoul did everything right (again) and overtook Bangkok a few weeks ago and now seems to be on cruise control to his 3rd straight title and 5th overall.

Awhile back I posted an article about the 'greatest JBL team ever'. I listed off 5 potential teams that would be in the discussion. One of those teams was this season's Bangkok squad that was so dominant for so long. Well now, with Seoul at 1183 and almost assured of victory - I think I have to include this Brothers team in the discussion. He is 1st or 2nd in six of the seven categories. That's almost unheard of if you go back and look at the other championship teams. We'll see what happens over the next 2 weeks but I think we may be parading in one of the greatest teams of all time.

So, let's assume that Seoul does hold on and win his 5th JBL title and remind everyone that will be 4 titles in the last 6 seasons. Where does that put little Phil in the JBL history? I am the self proclaimed king of the JBL (I guess when the league is named after you I have some entitlement) with 7 JBL titles overall. However, it's pretty obvious that the most feared JBL opponent these days is the Seoul Brothers. I think most of the JBL owners would most like to beat Phil Woo than me. I could be wrong on that - but it seems the balance of JBL power is shifting. Phil and I are creating a Lakers vs. Celtics type rivalry. It's going to be fun over the next ??? years....

I know I will always remember the JBL's 20th season for how shitty my Golden squad turned out to be...here are some highlights - or I guess they are low-lights...

• crappy draft in Vegas when I only spent $221 dollars (nothing like leaving $39 bucks on the table)
• with a week 1 that included just 190 points - I over-reacted and dropped some good players too early
• I tried to force things and made some questionable trades
• I used up my FA money on crap talent and had no FA money left after the February deadline
• I focused too much on getting cheap keepers and forgot to focus on maintaining my top 8 position
• My team was gutted by injury
• My team was loaded with potential keepers but injuries and poor management will likely only allow me to protect 1 player
• And ultimately I think I will be remembering my WORST finish ever in the JBL. And remember, we've been doing this for 20 years! With this likely 12th place finish there is a silver lining for another JBL owner. You see, in 20 years, my fantasy squad has ALWAYS finished ahead of another 20 year JBL owner - Trevor. Well, for the 1st time ever, it appears that Mr. Arksey is going to be able to finally be able to say he beat me. I'm sure Trev would have liked to have a 1st place finish to go with it - but after 20 years - I'm sure he'll take whatever he can get. And like me, after 12 years of marriage, I too will take whatever I can get.

So, what am I watching over the last 10 days or so??? There are a few things of interest...

• the battle for 1st between Seoul and Bangkok
• the battle for 4th between Arctic, French, and Chilliwack
• the battle for those two coveted 7th and 8th positions (3 keepers)
• the battle for 9th and 10th (2 keepers)
• the battle between Maui and Golden
• and seeing if Belgrade can get out of the basement...

Well boys, that's all for now...good luck down the stretch.