Well, with the NBA lockout just days away, the focus has changed from the very weak NBA draft held on Thursday. Even with the inevitable approaching, I still found myself fascinated with the NBA draft. Even with a weak class of incoming players - I was still there looking and analyzing at all the picks. So, without further ado, let's look at a few of those players who I think could have some fantasy value in 11/12 (whenever that is)...
#1 - Kyrie Irving - of course the #1 pick is going to have fantasy value. Cleveland is in full rebuild mode and should play him 30+ minutes a night. Because really, are they going to let an aging Baron Davis run the show? I don't think so. My concern on Irving is that he played about 300 minutes of college basketball. So he's still a bit of an unknown. But, like any rookie on a bad team, he will force shots and try to do too much. I say JBL owners beware...
#2 - Derrick Williams - To me, he looks like the best player right now in this draft. The problem, he plays in Minnesota (so far). He'll be behind Beasley and Love but should still hopefully carve out 25 minutes or so. I think he can have some fantasy value for sure.
#3 - Enes Kanter. I like this guy's potential. Despite not playing last year at Kentucky I think he has great potential to be a factor in Utah this coming season. I think he can pair nicely with Big Al and provide a presence in the paint for the Jazz. He will take over Okur's minutes and should be a fantasy factor as the season moves along. Kanter and Favors are a nice young duo that could allow them to move Millsap.
#6 - Jan Vesely. I love this dude for so many reasons!! I love this kid because he tongued his girlfriend when he was drafted. He's known as the 'Dunking Ninja' on You Tube. When asked if he was the European Blake Griffin - he responded with, "No, Blake is the American Jan Vesely." He is the next Andrei Kirilenko! And remember what AK47 went for in the land of fantasy a few years ago?? He was a $50 dollar player. I think this kid has that kind of potential.
#8 - Brandon Knight. While I'm not a huge fan of the player, I'm a bigger fan of the situation he landed in. For the longest time, Knight was pegged as the #3 choice going to Utah to play behind Devin Harris. However, he slipped to #8 and now has a chance to start in Detroit. Stuckey is not a pure PG and I think Knight could actually get significant minutes next season. Again, I think he will struggle with his shooting %'s but he should earn himself a JBL team spot on Auction night.
#9 - Kemba Walker. He gets mixed reviews from the experts on whether he'll make in the pro game. I like him though. Another guy who I think landed in the right situation. Charlotte is trying to change it's culture and only has Augustin and Henderson in the backcourt right now so I think Walker can earn enough minutes to be a fantasy factor. He was the PG on the NCAA winning team that wasn't loaded with stars so he can definitely play. I think he could be a late night pickup on JBL auction night.
#10 - Jimmer Fredette. Another perfect situation for a guy. Jimmer can play PG beside a much bigger guard Tyreke. The knock on Evans was that he wasn't a pure PG and loved to drive the ball too much. Well, now Tyreke can drive and kick it out to one of the best shooters the NCAA has ever seen. The Kings backcourt now features high volume guys like Tyreke, Jimmer, and Marcus Thornton. Will there be enough balls to go around?? No doubt this guy gets drafted at Auction.
#12 - Alec Burks. I admit, I don't know much about this kid. I do know that he was one of the best SG options available though and that he's landed on a team desperate for SG help. The Jazz trotted out Raja Bell last season on many nights at SG so Burks has a chance to contribute right away. Not sure how many minutes he'll get but he's probably a good risk/reward type player to draft late at auction and stash away on the bench.
#15 - Kawhi Leonard. A projected top 5 pick for the week leading up to the draft he somehow slipped to #15 and landed with the Spurs. San Antonio is great at identifying talent so I fully trust that they know what they're doing here. And just think, the only player standing in Leonard's way to significant minutes is an aging Richard Jefferson. So yes, I think Kawhi is going to play a lot next season.
#18 - Chris Singleton. He is supposedly the best defender in this draft and he's landed in Washington where they need some help. He will battle Vesely for minutes but should be on the floor a lot because of his ability to play D. He doesn't have much of an offensive game but he should get many open looks because of Wall's passing abilities. A possible late night JBL pick.
#22 - Kenneth Faried. Think Reggie Evans or Dennis Rodman type rebounder. Plus, he could actually start for Denver if they don't re-sign Kenyon Martin. He could be a nice value pick if you are in need of rebounds.
Well, there you have it...those are some of the guys that I like from this NBA draft. If we do see a lockout I think this year's JBL draft could be the most interesting one ever. Why? Because for the first time ever we won't have the luxury of pre-season games. We won't know what teams' rotations will look like. We won't know how FA's will be fitting in with their new teams. The uncertainty excites me. Although I do not want to see a shortened NBA season because that would mean our JBL season would be shorter as well.
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