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.
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