Less than 24 hours after I acquire Lowry with the hope of a Toronto trade - whammo - Jose Calderon is on his way to Detroit and Kyle Lowry is handed the reigns in Toronto. Many emailed me (ok, 3 people) if I had some sort of inside connection on this deal. I would love to say that me and Hollinger in Memphis are tight and he tipped me off - but sadly, no, this was dumb luck.
So, as history has proven, dumb luck does not go unpunished. On the one hand, Kyle Lowry is thrust into the starting PG role in TO and puts up 14-10-5 in his start tonight. On the surface, it looks like Golden has acquired a major piece to his puzzle. I would like to add that Ramon Sessions had 20 points tonight as well. Nevertheless, the joy in Golden was short lived as Karma struck back when 4 minutes into the Orlando game tonight Glen 'Big Baby' Davis went down with a broken left foot. And just like that - his 15ppg and 7reb are gone from the lineup. Luck vs. Karma always seems to balance each other out.
So, Rudy Gay in TO eh?? That has to be a positive for his fantasy outlook. The Kok should be happy.
Ed Davis goes to Memphis. He goes from starting PF to being the backup PF/C to Zach and Gasol. Not ideal for the Offs big man.
Calderon ends up in Detroit via Memphis in the 2nd phase of this 3 team deal. Calderon should end up having similar value in DET as he only has Brandon Knight and Will Bynum ahead of him. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if DET moves him on again before the Feb 21 deadline.
Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye end up on Memphis. Austin Daye must be kickin' himself. For a couple years now he's been poised to take over an again Prince as DET goes to a youth movement. Instead, he ends up going with Prince to Memphis. Ouch. Bad luck dude. Prince's defensive style should fit in nicely in Memphis as they are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. I would think that Zach, Conley and Gasol would have to increase their scoring to make up the team leading number that Gay was pouring in.
Who plays SF in Detroit with Prince and Daye out of the way? Is it Singler? Or Jerebko? Is Corey Maggette still alive? Or, do they move Calderon along for a SF?
Michael Beasley sighting in PHX tonight. Wow. Nice game. Maybe he's trying to increase his trade value.
Emeka Okafor is on fire in his last 10 games.
I'm really starting to like the looks of this Jimmy Butler kid in Chicago. He's big and has game. Nice pick up by the Poutang last week.
I'm agreeing with Timmy on his comments - Biyombo is a mess when he's starting for you. On your bench, he's one productive SOB. And overall, that Charlotte team is a mess. Pure shambles. Again.
BIG night in Arctic. Major contributions across the board. Even his bench guys had monster games. One of only 3 teams not to make a deal this JBL season. Will the Arctic try to make a move here?? He's currently comfortably in 4th and just a few points back of the surging Yo Mamas. Would he dare consider moving his young stud Manimal to improve his chances for this season? Would he dare move Derrick Favors?
Oh uh. Did Dwight Howard just injure his should again? Could Antawn Jamison become useful again for Idaho?
Anyways, that's all for tonight. The Calderon trade should get the ball rolling for all the other NBA teams to start their action....can't wait - it should be an exciting trade season ahead.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Week 14 is Busy...
Week 14 started with bang. I had offered a 2 for 1 deal to Bangkok (MKG & Nate for Sessions) around noon on Monday. I needed to make a 2 for 1 deal as all reports seemed to indicate that Pekovic was going to be ready this week and I was going to have to drop someone anyways and I wanted to get Pek in my lineup. So, I was trying to upgrade. Nate's value is sky high right now as he's playing fantastic. We all know that is going to last only another couple of weeks as Mr. Rose is getting ready to return. I had also turned sour on MKG after watching him play a couple of times. I love the effort, the hustle, the steals, and the blocks. But the kid's jump shot makes Shawn Marion's jumper look like the Mona Lisa. MKG cannot shoot. So, there I was wanting to use those two players to grab Sessions (15-4-3 on the season).
Once the lineups locked for the week I went in to withdraw the offer as I hate making a trade early in the week in case something happens. Well, I tried to click withdraw and saw that the Kok had already accepted it. Damn it. An ensuing phone call occurred to discuss if we wanted to make it retro for the beginning of the week (since no one had played yet) but decided to let it run it's course. As it turned out Nate had a big game for me in his swansong week with the Showers.
So, now I had Ramon Sessions on board. Everyone knows I'm not a Sessions fan but it's hard to argue with his numbers these days. He's been averaging almost 15ppg and his numbers are very similar to another breakout PG this season but Ramone doesn't get any love.
Player A - 14.6 PPG, 43/35 %, 206/81 ATO, 4 RPG, 41 steals
Player B - 14.7 PPG, 41/30 %, 176/71 ATO, 3 RPG, 34 steals
Player A is George Hill and I would consider him a possible keeper at his $5 dollar salary. Of course, Ramon Sessions is Player B and doesn't get any love because he's Ramon Sessions. I get it. I'm not a big fan. I was acquiring Sessions as insurance but really had no plans on playing him in Week 15 if he remained on my roster.
My thinking all along here was to try and turn Sessions into something better. Something more specific. I was looking for steals or some 3PT%. I actually made 3 offers on Monday night and considered making a 4th later in the week.
So, why Lowry? Because I figured Yuma would be growing tired of waiting for Lowry to produce. I know I was getting tired of waiting for Ersan to produce and was close to trading him a couple of times. I got a lot of scrub offers for Ersan. Again, I get it. Ersan wasn't performing so other teams were offering crap. So, in this case, I threw an offer out there for Lowry which Yuma accepted. I actually had eyes on another Yuma player but Yuma decided to part with Lowry instead.
Obviously I'm hoping that Lowry (or Calderon) gets traded somewhere and Lowry can stop faking injuries and get some playing time. He has loads of potential but has yet to show it in Toronto this season. Let's face it - the Raptors look like a better team with Calderon and Ed Davis than they do with Lowry and Bargnani. So, will the Raptors move Calderon or Lowry? It seems like the Celtics could be in the market for a PG now. They could be after either of the Raptors PG's or even a guy like Sessions.
Check out these PG numbers...
12.7 PPG, 48% FG, 48% 3PT, 142/59 ATO, and 17 steals in 23 games.
Those are some damn fine numbers. Oh wait, those are Ramon Sessions numbers last year when he joined the Lakers. The dude can play but no one puts up good numbers in Charlotte.
Another interesting stat - Golden has now made 7 trades this year with 7 different teams. On top of that - only 3 JBL teams have not made a trade since the season started. Can you name them? If you said Maui, Chilliwack and the Arctic you were bang on.
And late Tuesday night another deal went down in the JBL. Brussels and Idaho hooked up on a big man swap. Ryan Anderson and his 3PT stroke head to Brussels and Omer Asik becomes a Pimp. Brussels is 12th in 3PT% and 12th in scoring so I can see why he would target Anderson (most made 3's in the NBA this season and is shooting 39.5% from downtown).
The other thing to consider is Anderson's $7 dollar salary. Could this be another keeper for the Brussels already full keeper stable?? He already has arguably two of the top 10 best keepers in the JBL already (Vucevic $1 and Lillard $12). He has young guys at cheap salaries who could be ready for breakouts (Sullinger $5, Biyombo $6, Brooks $4, Waiters $7, Isaiah Thomas $6) and he also has some blossoming future stars that could be worth keeping (Batum $30 and Cousins $39). This Brussles team has to have the most potential for next season. This Brussels team is also right at the salary cap floor now with a roster at $200 dollars. The interesting thing to watch over the 2nd half of the season is that right now, Jan 29th at 10:48pm, the Muscles team is in 11th spot and would only be able to keep 1 player for next season. Who would it be? Lillard? Vucevic? Brussels has got to light a fire under his boys to climb the ladder. 8th place would get him 3 keepers and that's just 115 points away. The chase is on.
Idaho acquired Asik to shore up his rebounding and blocks. He's averaging 10ppg and 11reb and has blocked 52 shots this season. He's also shooting 53% on the season. Asik is #5 in the NBA in rebounds per game this season. Idaho is just behind Brussels and Bangkok so bringing in Asik could allow him to challenge them for a couple of rebounding spots. And while Brussels is at the salary floor $200 - the Pimps are at the maximum ($300 on the nose). So, not only does Idaho not have any FA dollars left - they don't have the ability to take on any additional salary! I'm thinking Tuna might need to bring in a capologist pretty soon.
Oh hey - did anyone see the breakout game from Andre Drummond tonight? 18 and 18 in 28 minutes!! Oh my. Benny just creamed his jeans. At just $3 bucks you can bet he's in the top 10 keeper list too. And of course, the Wack's best keeper (in my opinion) Paul George would also have to make the top 10. Looking at the Wack's keeper potential I would have to say he's loaded for next season as well. Not loaded like Brussels - but certainly well stocked. He's got Drummond, George, and Mayo all at very good prices.
The other thing I noticed tonight was the rise of the Yo Mamas. They gained 65 points tonight along and now sit at 900 points on the season. The scary thing is that they have room to move in a couple of categories too. I like this Juan de Fuca team - they are proving to everyone else in the JBL that they are back as title contenders. They had a strong 3rd place finish last season but some of the JBL owners thought it was a bit fluky. Well, they are back in the hunt and are right there in the mix for the 2012/13 title.
The other thing I learned this week is about a rivalry that doesn't get much play in the JBL chat board. It's a rivalry that isn't discussed much but quietly exists. Like a silent fart that everyone can taste. You don't hear about it but you sure can sense it's presence. Everyone knows about the epic Bangkok vs. Seoul rivalry. It's well documented. And everyone knows about the Bangkok vs. Juan de Fuca annual side bets. But maybe one of the deepest and darkest rivalries is the one I learned about between Bangkok and Chilliwack. It goes a long way back to the days of Mario Elie and Malik Sealy. It goes beyond t-shirts with empty trophy cases. It's goes beyond the sarcastic witty banter that we sometimes see in the chat room. I really think the Kok wants to take down the Wack one day. That task, if accomplished, would bring the Kok great joy. The Kok really wants to best the Wack and stick it to him. I think it would be a crowning jewel in the Kok's cap. And when that day comes...I sense there will be great celebration in Kokland. There will be parties in the streets. There will be joy. There will be asian porn. There will be gloating and taunting. There will be late night phone calls where the Wack would answer and then the Kok would hang up. There would be new t-shirts made for everyone in the JBL showing the Kok's one championship trophy in the case. Oh yes, there will be celebration. But hey, that's not happening this year so I should move on.
Did you see Dwight Howard had 24 points tonight with 5 steals and 4 blocks. Those are some stocks right there.
Don't forget, the JBL keeper trade deadline is just a few weeks away. It's All-Star weekend and the Sunday, February 17th at midnight PST is the deadline. You want to potentially protect a guy for next season - he's got to be on your roster by midnight on the 17th. The NBA trade deadline is the following Thursday, Feb 21st so we could see a flurry of action in the JBL and the NBA this season.
Once the lineups locked for the week I went in to withdraw the offer as I hate making a trade early in the week in case something happens. Well, I tried to click withdraw and saw that the Kok had already accepted it. Damn it. An ensuing phone call occurred to discuss if we wanted to make it retro for the beginning of the week (since no one had played yet) but decided to let it run it's course. As it turned out Nate had a big game for me in his swansong week with the Showers.
So, now I had Ramon Sessions on board. Everyone knows I'm not a Sessions fan but it's hard to argue with his numbers these days. He's been averaging almost 15ppg and his numbers are very similar to another breakout PG this season but Ramone doesn't get any love.
Player A - 14.6 PPG, 43/35 %, 206/81 ATO, 4 RPG, 41 steals
Player B - 14.7 PPG, 41/30 %, 176/71 ATO, 3 RPG, 34 steals
Player A is George Hill and I would consider him a possible keeper at his $5 dollar salary. Of course, Ramon Sessions is Player B and doesn't get any love because he's Ramon Sessions. I get it. I'm not a big fan. I was acquiring Sessions as insurance but really had no plans on playing him in Week 15 if he remained on my roster.
My thinking all along here was to try and turn Sessions into something better. Something more specific. I was looking for steals or some 3PT%. I actually made 3 offers on Monday night and considered making a 4th later in the week.
So, why Lowry? Because I figured Yuma would be growing tired of waiting for Lowry to produce. I know I was getting tired of waiting for Ersan to produce and was close to trading him a couple of times. I got a lot of scrub offers for Ersan. Again, I get it. Ersan wasn't performing so other teams were offering crap. So, in this case, I threw an offer out there for Lowry which Yuma accepted. I actually had eyes on another Yuma player but Yuma decided to part with Lowry instead.
Obviously I'm hoping that Lowry (or Calderon) gets traded somewhere and Lowry can stop faking injuries and get some playing time. He has loads of potential but has yet to show it in Toronto this season. Let's face it - the Raptors look like a better team with Calderon and Ed Davis than they do with Lowry and Bargnani. So, will the Raptors move Calderon or Lowry? It seems like the Celtics could be in the market for a PG now. They could be after either of the Raptors PG's or even a guy like Sessions.
Check out these PG numbers...
12.7 PPG, 48% FG, 48% 3PT, 142/59 ATO, and 17 steals in 23 games.
Those are some damn fine numbers. Oh wait, those are Ramon Sessions numbers last year when he joined the Lakers. The dude can play but no one puts up good numbers in Charlotte.
Another interesting stat - Golden has now made 7 trades this year with 7 different teams. On top of that - only 3 JBL teams have not made a trade since the season started. Can you name them? If you said Maui, Chilliwack and the Arctic you were bang on.
And late Tuesday night another deal went down in the JBL. Brussels and Idaho hooked up on a big man swap. Ryan Anderson and his 3PT stroke head to Brussels and Omer Asik becomes a Pimp. Brussels is 12th in 3PT% and 12th in scoring so I can see why he would target Anderson (most made 3's in the NBA this season and is shooting 39.5% from downtown).
The other thing to consider is Anderson's $7 dollar salary. Could this be another keeper for the Brussels already full keeper stable?? He already has arguably two of the top 10 best keepers in the JBL already (Vucevic $1 and Lillard $12). He has young guys at cheap salaries who could be ready for breakouts (Sullinger $5, Biyombo $6, Brooks $4, Waiters $7, Isaiah Thomas $6) and he also has some blossoming future stars that could be worth keeping (Batum $30 and Cousins $39). This Brussles team has to have the most potential for next season. This Brussels team is also right at the salary cap floor now with a roster at $200 dollars. The interesting thing to watch over the 2nd half of the season is that right now, Jan 29th at 10:48pm, the Muscles team is in 11th spot and would only be able to keep 1 player for next season. Who would it be? Lillard? Vucevic? Brussels has got to light a fire under his boys to climb the ladder. 8th place would get him 3 keepers and that's just 115 points away. The chase is on.
Idaho acquired Asik to shore up his rebounding and blocks. He's averaging 10ppg and 11reb and has blocked 52 shots this season. He's also shooting 53% on the season. Asik is #5 in the NBA in rebounds per game this season. Idaho is just behind Brussels and Bangkok so bringing in Asik could allow him to challenge them for a couple of rebounding spots. And while Brussels is at the salary floor $200 - the Pimps are at the maximum ($300 on the nose). So, not only does Idaho not have any FA dollars left - they don't have the ability to take on any additional salary! I'm thinking Tuna might need to bring in a capologist pretty soon.
Oh hey - did anyone see the breakout game from Andre Drummond tonight? 18 and 18 in 28 minutes!! Oh my. Benny just creamed his jeans. At just $3 bucks you can bet he's in the top 10 keeper list too. And of course, the Wack's best keeper (in my opinion) Paul George would also have to make the top 10. Looking at the Wack's keeper potential I would have to say he's loaded for next season as well. Not loaded like Brussels - but certainly well stocked. He's got Drummond, George, and Mayo all at very good prices.
The other thing I noticed tonight was the rise of the Yo Mamas. They gained 65 points tonight along and now sit at 900 points on the season. The scary thing is that they have room to move in a couple of categories too. I like this Juan de Fuca team - they are proving to everyone else in the JBL that they are back as title contenders. They had a strong 3rd place finish last season but some of the JBL owners thought it was a bit fluky. Well, they are back in the hunt and are right there in the mix for the 2012/13 title.
The other thing I learned this week is about a rivalry that doesn't get much play in the JBL chat board. It's a rivalry that isn't discussed much but quietly exists. Like a silent fart that everyone can taste. You don't hear about it but you sure can sense it's presence. Everyone knows about the epic Bangkok vs. Seoul rivalry. It's well documented. And everyone knows about the Bangkok vs. Juan de Fuca annual side bets. But maybe one of the deepest and darkest rivalries is the one I learned about between Bangkok and Chilliwack. It goes a long way back to the days of Mario Elie and Malik Sealy. It goes beyond t-shirts with empty trophy cases. It's goes beyond the sarcastic witty banter that we sometimes see in the chat room. I really think the Kok wants to take down the Wack one day. That task, if accomplished, would bring the Kok great joy. The Kok really wants to best the Wack and stick it to him. I think it would be a crowning jewel in the Kok's cap. And when that day comes...I sense there will be great celebration in Kokland. There will be parties in the streets. There will be joy. There will be asian porn. There will be gloating and taunting. There will be late night phone calls where the Wack would answer and then the Kok would hang up. There would be new t-shirts made for everyone in the JBL showing the Kok's one championship trophy in the case. Oh yes, there will be celebration. But hey, that's not happening this year so I should move on.
Did you see Dwight Howard had 24 points tonight with 5 steals and 4 blocks. Those are some stocks right there.
Don't forget, the JBL keeper trade deadline is just a few weeks away. It's All-Star weekend and the Sunday, February 17th at midnight PST is the deadline. You want to potentially protect a guy for next season - he's got to be on your roster by midnight on the 17th. The NBA trade deadline is the following Thursday, Feb 21st so we could see a flurry of action in the JBL and the NBA this season.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The Day Rondo Died...
Devastating news out of Boston/French Lick today...Rondo is gone for the year with a torn ACL. This year's French squad is struggling in 13th place and was trying to get out of the basement when they lose their main ATO/Steals man. I see French snatched up Devin Harris to replace him but that really says it all right there doesn't it...replacing Rondo with Harris. Ugh. So French can go one of two ways here...he can do his best and try to get out of the basement...and the way he would try to accomplish that would be to trade Derrick Rose. Or, he stands pat and tries to get out by keeping Rose and not allowing any other JBL to get their hands on him. I know which way I would go...
Another shocking piece of news from the JBL tonight is that Idaho spent his last FA dollar on Courtney Lee. I actually like the pick up of Courtney Lee for $1 onto a JBL roster - but I'm not sure I would have wanted to use my last dollar on this kid in week 14. There are still 10 weeks left in the JBL season and Idaho can only make moves by making trades?? Oh oh. You know what that means...we could all be going 'dark' like Montreal just announced.
I also see Bangkok picked up Chris Johnson. The Memphis one. I'm wondering if he meant to pick up the Minnesota one? It's funny because I actually thought they were the same dude. I thought Minny used him for a couple of games, released him, and he wound up in Memphis. Apparently, they are separate guys. It's the Minnesota one that intrigues me a bit more.
Week long trade discussions between Chilliwack and Golden ended on Sunday morning with no deal in place. Can't say I blame Benny for not pulling the trigger as it's a risky trade for both teams at this stage of the year. More risky for Ben because he's in 1st place and could have his cake and eat it too if he stands firm. We're just a few weeks away from the JBL Keeper trade deadline (NBA All-Star game - Feb 17th) so we may see some JBL trade action in the next couple of weeks.
With the keeper trade deadline just a few weeks away I thought I would go with yet another quick hitter on who I think is each JBL's team best keeper. Here we go...
Yuma - by pure value, I think it's actually Kyle Korver, but we all know Pat isn't going to protect him for $13 bucks. So, for me, it's either Jennings for $27 or David Lee for $45. Neither is really a super 'bargain' at those prices but you certainly know what you're getting with either of them.
Seoul - It's General Greivis in my books. He can come back for just $9 bucks. He's averaging 14ppg and 9ast while shooting 38% from downtown. No brainer - he'll be back in Seoul next season.
Montreal - Kyrie Irving for $25. Irving will be entering year 3 of his potential 5 year rookie deal. Kyrie continues to improve every year and is now averaging 24ppg and 6ast while shooting 48/41. He made his 1st All Star game this year too. I don't see Montreal moving him anytime soon.
Maui - It's the Unibrow. He'll be brought back for $20 bucks. While I don't think he'll win ROY he is having a very solid season. 13 and 8 with 35 steals and 55 blocks thru 30 games while shooting 52%. Anthony Davis will be back in Maui next season I would think.
Manhattan Beach - I think his best keeper is Brook Lopez for $31 dollars. First off, I think Brook got jipped on the All-Star game. He should have made it over Bosh. Brook is averaging 19 and 7 and has 82 blocks and shot 52%. I definitely think he's worth more than that at Auction.
Juan de Fuca - While I'm tempted to go with someone like Kemba or David West - Juan's best keeper is Larry Sanders. The breakout star of the 2012/13 season is leading the league in blocks (3.1 per game) and is also chipping in 8.5PPG and 8.5REB while shooting 54%. He's worth a lot more than his $15 dollar keeper price.
Idaho - while Idaho has a couple of potential keepers (Hill, Anderson) his best one still has to be James Harden for $18 bucks. He's one of the top scorers in the NBA and despite his horrible 3PT% he still is a nice building block.
Golden - The Showers certainly don't have many cheap bargains for next season but Nikola Pekovic has become a fan favourite and will likely be back for just $17 bucks. His 16 and 8 numbers with 50% shooting is nice to have from a man in the middle.
French Lick - the best keeper in the JBL could be Derrick Rose for $8 bucks. He'll have a rule named after him this off season. We'll see what French does with him but I'm hoping he ends up back in the JBL Auction next season.
Chilliwack - the Offs are loaded for next season with keepers (Mayo, George, Drummond) and the best value of the bunch, for me, is Paul George. While Drummond has the most long term potential it's George that is already an All Star. He's now the face of the Pacers and his stat stuffing abilities and fantasy friendly game (and $18 salary) should have other JBL teams drooling for his services.
Brussels - the only team that can rival the Offs' stable of keeper is the 2013 Muscles. With Damian Lillard and Nikola Vucevic on the roster Timmy has the makings of a solid foundation for next season. So, who is the better value?? In my opinion, it's Vucevic, and it's not even really that close. Yes, Lillard will win ROY but it's Vucevic's rebounding numbers that make him the #1 keeper option in Brussels.
Bangkok - The best keeper on this roster could actually be the biggest fantasy disappointment this year. Yes, it's Andrew Bynum. He could be brought back next season with a salary of $30 bucks. He could also blow out a knee in a heartbeat or he could be the #1 Center in the NBA. Risk and reward in the highest regard.
Arctic - This was another easy choice for me. It's Kenneth Faried. The Manimal is a fantasy beast. He scores, rebounds, shoots great, and gets steals and blocks. He does it all. And he'll be doing it again next season in Arctic for just $16 bucks in year 3 of a potential 5 year rookie deal. He is becoming the cornerstone of the Arctic franchise.
That's all for me tonight...on to Week 14...
Another shocking piece of news from the JBL tonight is that Idaho spent his last FA dollar on Courtney Lee. I actually like the pick up of Courtney Lee for $1 onto a JBL roster - but I'm not sure I would have wanted to use my last dollar on this kid in week 14. There are still 10 weeks left in the JBL season and Idaho can only make moves by making trades?? Oh oh. You know what that means...we could all be going 'dark' like Montreal just announced.
I also see Bangkok picked up Chris Johnson. The Memphis one. I'm wondering if he meant to pick up the Minnesota one? It's funny because I actually thought they were the same dude. I thought Minny used him for a couple of games, released him, and he wound up in Memphis. Apparently, they are separate guys. It's the Minnesota one that intrigues me a bit more.
Week long trade discussions between Chilliwack and Golden ended on Sunday morning with no deal in place. Can't say I blame Benny for not pulling the trigger as it's a risky trade for both teams at this stage of the year. More risky for Ben because he's in 1st place and could have his cake and eat it too if he stands firm. We're just a few weeks away from the JBL Keeper trade deadline (NBA All-Star game - Feb 17th) so we may see some JBL trade action in the next couple of weeks.
With the keeper trade deadline just a few weeks away I thought I would go with yet another quick hitter on who I think is each JBL's team best keeper. Here we go...
Yuma - by pure value, I think it's actually Kyle Korver, but we all know Pat isn't going to protect him for $13 bucks. So, for me, it's either Jennings for $27 or David Lee for $45. Neither is really a super 'bargain' at those prices but you certainly know what you're getting with either of them.
Seoul - It's General Greivis in my books. He can come back for just $9 bucks. He's averaging 14ppg and 9ast while shooting 38% from downtown. No brainer - he'll be back in Seoul next season.
Montreal - Kyrie Irving for $25. Irving will be entering year 3 of his potential 5 year rookie deal. Kyrie continues to improve every year and is now averaging 24ppg and 6ast while shooting 48/41. He made his 1st All Star game this year too. I don't see Montreal moving him anytime soon.
Maui - It's the Unibrow. He'll be brought back for $20 bucks. While I don't think he'll win ROY he is having a very solid season. 13 and 8 with 35 steals and 55 blocks thru 30 games while shooting 52%. Anthony Davis will be back in Maui next season I would think.
Manhattan Beach - I think his best keeper is Brook Lopez for $31 dollars. First off, I think Brook got jipped on the All-Star game. He should have made it over Bosh. Brook is averaging 19 and 7 and has 82 blocks and shot 52%. I definitely think he's worth more than that at Auction.
Juan de Fuca - While I'm tempted to go with someone like Kemba or David West - Juan's best keeper is Larry Sanders. The breakout star of the 2012/13 season is leading the league in blocks (3.1 per game) and is also chipping in 8.5PPG and 8.5REB while shooting 54%. He's worth a lot more than his $15 dollar keeper price.
Idaho - while Idaho has a couple of potential keepers (Hill, Anderson) his best one still has to be James Harden for $18 bucks. He's one of the top scorers in the NBA and despite his horrible 3PT% he still is a nice building block.
Golden - The Showers certainly don't have many cheap bargains for next season but Nikola Pekovic has become a fan favourite and will likely be back for just $17 bucks. His 16 and 8 numbers with 50% shooting is nice to have from a man in the middle.
French Lick - the best keeper in the JBL could be Derrick Rose for $8 bucks. He'll have a rule named after him this off season. We'll see what French does with him but I'm hoping he ends up back in the JBL Auction next season.
Chilliwack - the Offs are loaded for next season with keepers (Mayo, George, Drummond) and the best value of the bunch, for me, is Paul George. While Drummond has the most long term potential it's George that is already an All Star. He's now the face of the Pacers and his stat stuffing abilities and fantasy friendly game (and $18 salary) should have other JBL teams drooling for his services.
Brussels - the only team that can rival the Offs' stable of keeper is the 2013 Muscles. With Damian Lillard and Nikola Vucevic on the roster Timmy has the makings of a solid foundation for next season. So, who is the better value?? In my opinion, it's Vucevic, and it's not even really that close. Yes, Lillard will win ROY but it's Vucevic's rebounding numbers that make him the #1 keeper option in Brussels.
Bangkok - The best keeper on this roster could actually be the biggest fantasy disappointment this year. Yes, it's Andrew Bynum. He could be brought back next season with a salary of $30 bucks. He could also blow out a knee in a heartbeat or he could be the #1 Center in the NBA. Risk and reward in the highest regard.
Arctic - This was another easy choice for me. It's Kenneth Faried. The Manimal is a fantasy beast. He scores, rebounds, shoots great, and gets steals and blocks. He does it all. And he'll be doing it again next season in Arctic for just $16 bucks in year 3 of a potential 5 year rookie deal. He is becoming the cornerstone of the Arctic franchise.
That's all for me tonight...on to Week 14...
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tuesday Night...
Holy Crapola...I logged into the scoreboard tonight and there was Bobby Hucul online. Don't think I've ever seen that this year. Well done Bob.
I watched some of the OKC vs. LAC game tonight. Two very good teams. Blake really impressed me. He's really expanded his game this season. Even if his scoring and rebounding are down a bit this season he's upped his stocks (61 steals and 28 blocks) this year. He already has more steals this year (in 42 games) than he did all of last season (66 games). He's an emerging fantasy force. Benny will have a big Halifax woody when he sees this box score and what Durant and Griffin combined for. And don't forget his super rookie Andre Drummond has another double double in half a game tonight. There are rumors that the Showers and the Offs were discussing a Drummond trade but nothing has materialized to date.
The Wack is now 1st in 4 categories and 2nd in another (BLK) and 4th in rebounding. He remains 13th in ATO. Currently, the Wack is at 1086 points. Assuming the Offs stay in 13th in ATO, Benny really only has another 58 possible points to gain (13 in blocks and 45 in rebounds). Think about that for a second. His max total is really 1144. This Offs team is dominant right now.
Benny also made a good observation about his team being 1st in steals and last in ATO. I don't believe this has ever occurred in the history of the JBL as typically the 2 categories go hand in hand.
My email must not be working right. Ersan Ilyasova just went for 27 and 16 and I don't have one Jeff Green offer from Idaho?? Something's not right here.
Today I watched the Sacramento press conference led by Mayor Kevin Johnson and there furious last minute attempt to keep the Kings. I don't think it's going to work and it appears too little too late. It's a shame really because from everything I've read and seen on TV the Kings fans are loud and proud. Remember their 'glory' days when they Webber, Divac, Bibby, Christie, et al and were challenging the Lakers? Those crowds were awesome. All that being said, I'm glad the Sonics appear to be back. It's too bad they aren't getting much of a team but I'm sure a new GM and new Coach will shake that roster up. I wonder how many guys will be left? I wonder who the new GM will be? And is there anyone other than Nate McMillan on the coaches list?? I mean he coached the Sonics for 5 seasons; he's currently looking for work; he's coached with USA basketball; his #10 Sonics jersey is in the rafters. To me, it's a no brainer - the head coach of the 2013/14 Sonics should be Nate McMillan.
Looking at the JBL standings there are actually a number of interesting races...
- Benny's Offs vs. the JBL.
- Arctic vs. Juan for 3rd place is shaping up nicely
- 5th thru 8th changes nightly (this is the 600 club)
- Seoul vs. Bangkok is always entertaining
- 9th thru 12th is also tight (the 500 club)
- and the basement watch is on with French (currently at 393 points). We all know a 13th place finish means no keepers for French.
Saw the box score from the Washington vs. Portland game last night. Martell Webster had 24 points. Brussels acquired him from French for no one. Good deal for Tim.
The PHX Suns are a mess. They promoted Lindsey Hunter as their new head coach. He has no coaching experience. This move pissed off Dan Majerle (long time asst. coach) so much that he simply walked away from the team. Elston Turner, another lead assistant with PHX, has also skipped all 3 practices since Hunter was appointed Head Coach. Today, Jermaine O'Neal got in a shouting match with GM Lance Blanks. Dragic is not happy as he came to PHX because of Coach Gentry. Hunter is apparently in love with his #13 rookie pick Kendall Marshall and plans to use him at PG and slide Goran Dragic over to SG more even though Marshall has been average in the D-League this season. I can't wait to see how they look on Wednesday night. The only saving grace is that they play Sacramento on the road.
I've started to scan rosters for potential keepers for next season already. I mentioned some of those potential keepers in my last post. Today, I came across a name that I didn't really think about as a keeper - but maybe I should. I read this players stats and then tried to find someone with similar numbers and also compared their JBL salaries. Check this one out and see what you think.
Player A - 14.7 PPG, 7.0 REB, 50% FG, 1.21 ATO, 43 STL, 38 BLK
Player B - 15.4 PPG, 7.4 REB, 45% FG, 1.04 ATO, 30 STL, 20 BLK
I think we can all agree that Player A is the better player here. Better FG% and ATO and more steals and blocks. But Player B certainly holds his own and puts up a decent line. And in this case it's for a third of the price. Player A's JBL salary is $26 bucks and Player B's salary is $8 bucks. Player A is Kevin Garnett and Player B is Big Baby Davis. Is Big Baby a keeper candidate? Maybe. It depends on what ORL is going to do with their roster this offseason. Will he still be in Orlando? Do they want to continue to start him or will they turn to their youngsters (Nicholson & Harkless)? I guess I'll have to wait and see...
Let me throw some middle tier potential keepers at you....see what you think.
Nicolas Batum $30 bucks. 17ppg, 6reb, 43/35%, 60 steals, 43 blocks. Is he worth $35?
Eric Gordon $22 bucks. 20+ PPG scorer with a history of injuries??
Zach Randolph $21 bucks. 16 and 12 and 48% FG.
Tim Duncan $31 bucks - can he do it again next year? 17 and 10 with 114 blocks so far.
Thad Young $33 bucks - 15ppg, 7reb, 52% FG, 66 steals, 40 blocks. Very similar #'s to Batum.
Joakim Noah $34 bucks - 12 and 11. 51 steals and 82 blocks.
Kevin Love $44 - will he be healthy? Can he find his shot? Avg'd 18 and 14 while shooting 35/21.
Well, that's it for me tonight...
I will leave you with the opportunity to pick the topic of my next blog post. 1st response to my inbox with a JBL-related topic gets my next blog dedicated to you. So, for my 3 readers, what do you want to see me rant about?
I watched some of the OKC vs. LAC game tonight. Two very good teams. Blake really impressed me. He's really expanded his game this season. Even if his scoring and rebounding are down a bit this season he's upped his stocks (61 steals and 28 blocks) this year. He already has more steals this year (in 42 games) than he did all of last season (66 games). He's an emerging fantasy force. Benny will have a big Halifax woody when he sees this box score and what Durant and Griffin combined for. And don't forget his super rookie Andre Drummond has another double double in half a game tonight. There are rumors that the Showers and the Offs were discussing a Drummond trade but nothing has materialized to date.
The Wack is now 1st in 4 categories and 2nd in another (BLK) and 4th in rebounding. He remains 13th in ATO. Currently, the Wack is at 1086 points. Assuming the Offs stay in 13th in ATO, Benny really only has another 58 possible points to gain (13 in blocks and 45 in rebounds). Think about that for a second. His max total is really 1144. This Offs team is dominant right now.
Benny also made a good observation about his team being 1st in steals and last in ATO. I don't believe this has ever occurred in the history of the JBL as typically the 2 categories go hand in hand.
My email must not be working right. Ersan Ilyasova just went for 27 and 16 and I don't have one Jeff Green offer from Idaho?? Something's not right here.
Today I watched the Sacramento press conference led by Mayor Kevin Johnson and there furious last minute attempt to keep the Kings. I don't think it's going to work and it appears too little too late. It's a shame really because from everything I've read and seen on TV the Kings fans are loud and proud. Remember their 'glory' days when they Webber, Divac, Bibby, Christie, et al and were challenging the Lakers? Those crowds were awesome. All that being said, I'm glad the Sonics appear to be back. It's too bad they aren't getting much of a team but I'm sure a new GM and new Coach will shake that roster up. I wonder how many guys will be left? I wonder who the new GM will be? And is there anyone other than Nate McMillan on the coaches list?? I mean he coached the Sonics for 5 seasons; he's currently looking for work; he's coached with USA basketball; his #10 Sonics jersey is in the rafters. To me, it's a no brainer - the head coach of the 2013/14 Sonics should be Nate McMillan.
Looking at the JBL standings there are actually a number of interesting races...
- Benny's Offs vs. the JBL.
- Arctic vs. Juan for 3rd place is shaping up nicely
- 5th thru 8th changes nightly (this is the 600 club)
- Seoul vs. Bangkok is always entertaining
- 9th thru 12th is also tight (the 500 club)
- and the basement watch is on with French (currently at 393 points). We all know a 13th place finish means no keepers for French.
Saw the box score from the Washington vs. Portland game last night. Martell Webster had 24 points. Brussels acquired him from French for no one. Good deal for Tim.
The PHX Suns are a mess. They promoted Lindsey Hunter as their new head coach. He has no coaching experience. This move pissed off Dan Majerle (long time asst. coach) so much that he simply walked away from the team. Elston Turner, another lead assistant with PHX, has also skipped all 3 practices since Hunter was appointed Head Coach. Today, Jermaine O'Neal got in a shouting match with GM Lance Blanks. Dragic is not happy as he came to PHX because of Coach Gentry. Hunter is apparently in love with his #13 rookie pick Kendall Marshall and plans to use him at PG and slide Goran Dragic over to SG more even though Marshall has been average in the D-League this season. I can't wait to see how they look on Wednesday night. The only saving grace is that they play Sacramento on the road.
I've started to scan rosters for potential keepers for next season already. I mentioned some of those potential keepers in my last post. Today, I came across a name that I didn't really think about as a keeper - but maybe I should. I read this players stats and then tried to find someone with similar numbers and also compared their JBL salaries. Check this one out and see what you think.
Player A - 14.7 PPG, 7.0 REB, 50% FG, 1.21 ATO, 43 STL, 38 BLK
Player B - 15.4 PPG, 7.4 REB, 45% FG, 1.04 ATO, 30 STL, 20 BLK
I think we can all agree that Player A is the better player here. Better FG% and ATO and more steals and blocks. But Player B certainly holds his own and puts up a decent line. And in this case it's for a third of the price. Player A's JBL salary is $26 bucks and Player B's salary is $8 bucks. Player A is Kevin Garnett and Player B is Big Baby Davis. Is Big Baby a keeper candidate? Maybe. It depends on what ORL is going to do with their roster this offseason. Will he still be in Orlando? Do they want to continue to start him or will they turn to their youngsters (Nicholson & Harkless)? I guess I'll have to wait and see...
Let me throw some middle tier potential keepers at you....see what you think.
Nicolas Batum $30 bucks. 17ppg, 6reb, 43/35%, 60 steals, 43 blocks. Is he worth $35?
Eric Gordon $22 bucks. 20+ PPG scorer with a history of injuries??
Zach Randolph $21 bucks. 16 and 12 and 48% FG.
Tim Duncan $31 bucks - can he do it again next year? 17 and 10 with 114 blocks so far.
Thad Young $33 bucks - 15ppg, 7reb, 52% FG, 66 steals, 40 blocks. Very similar #'s to Batum.
Joakim Noah $34 bucks - 12 and 11. 51 steals and 82 blocks.
Kevin Love $44 - will he be healthy? Can he find his shot? Avg'd 18 and 14 while shooting 35/21.
Well, that's it for me tonight...
I will leave you with the opportunity to pick the topic of my next blog post. 1st response to my inbox with a JBL-related topic gets my next blog dedicated to you. So, for my 3 readers, what do you want to see me rant about?
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The Week That Was...
Week 12 is history...
A week where I really started to hate my decision to trade Calderon for MKG. The kid is going to find himself plastered to the bench this coming week I think.
A week that saw the Offs take the lead. Benny's squad continues to look strong behind the play of Durant and company. While the breakout play of George, Mayo, and Ed Davis continues to marvel - it's the role guys like Aminu and Matt Barnes that really impresses me. Barnes has been in the league a long time now but his fantasy numbers this year have been eye popping. His percentages are 49/36; he' scoring 11ppg with 5 reb; and most importantly he has 49 steals and 37 blocks. Very nice indeed.
Arctic has solidified a grasp in the money spots for now behind the stellar guard play or Steph Curry, Tony Parker, and Monta Ellis. Again, Crikker can breathe deeply that Curry's ankle injury didn't last more than 2 games. Arctic does have 2 guys waiting in the wings that could have an impact in the 2nd half of the season. Bogut has been injured all year and contributed nothing as of yet. As well, Derrick Favors is just waiting for Millsap or Big Al to get traded by the Feb 21 deadline. If one of them goes - expect this youngster to be unleashed.
The Kok saw the healthy return of John Wall this week and rumors are that Bynum isn't far behind. The Kok needs to see if he's a contender or if he's just the best of the middle-of-the-pack teams. A healthy Bynum would certainly help answer that question. The Kok is currently 5th but it's his lack of steals (13th) that could be troublesome. The bright side of that is knowing that the Wack is in 1st place despite being dead last in ATO. So, it can be done.
The Seoul squad climbed to 6th place this week and is starting to put the pressure on his AP buddy. Of course, Seoul getting Calderon (22 and 9 today Phil!) for a rookie-walled MKG was quite the steal. The Brothers don't score much but I can see his %'s climbing all the time. It helps when he's able to light a fire under Landry Fields' ass to the tune of 18 and 10 with 4 steals today. Don't count this team out yet of making a run in the 2nd half of the season.
As usual, the Pimps continue to score (1st) and steal (2nd) while continuing to struggle in every other category ( 11-10-12-13-6). Not much more I can say about this squad. He's got all the 'names' but not the categories.
With the halfway point in the NBA season upon us and the NBA All-Star game about one month away it's time to start thinking about keepers for next season. It doesn't really matter where you are in the standings it's always good to think about it. That's part of the strategy and beauty of the JBL (or any dynasty league). How can I win this year and next and the one after that? That's the key. So, who are the best keepers? I'll have a quick scan of the rosters....here we go.
Kenneth Faried - the dude is a Manimal.
Evan Turner - he's struggling right now but has improved in 2012/13
Taj Gibson - he would be awesome if the Bulls moved Boozer
Andrew Bynum - if only he had good knees
Damian Lillard - he'll be in Brussels forever
Nikola Vucevic - could he actually be the best big man keeper?
Paul George - the new Shawn Marion
OJ Mayo - his big year in Dallas should land him a big fat contract
Andre Drummond - kid looks legit - now only if DET would play him
Derrick Rose - unquestionably the #1 keeper ever and will likely have a new rule named after him
Nikola Pekovic - he's fun to root for that's for sure
James Harden - top notch scorer
George Hill - breakout season in INDY
Kemba Walker - much improved in year 2
Larry Sanders - who woulda thunk it? The kids is a block shot beast
Brook Lopez - totally under-rated and under priced in my opinion
Anthony Davis - the next Tim Duncan?
Kyrie Irving - doesn't get a lot of attention but kid can play
Greivis Vasquez - another breakout PG
That's quite a lengthy list of potential keepers. Many teams have several good keepers so I'm wondering how much movement will be made by All-Star weekend. If I had to put a top 5 keeper list together right now I would go with (in no particular order)....
Derrick Rose, Nikola Vucevic, Paul George, Anthony Davis, and James Harden. Tough call on the last one actually because as good as Harden is - his %'s kill you. That being said, $18 bucks for the #5 scorer in the NBA is pretty damn good.
Anyways, that's a definite poll question in the coming weeks.
Also, I really think we should vote on 2 rule changes for next season at some point...
1) The Derrick Rose rule - certain players will be deemed 'unprotectable' on draft night to avoid the situation with Derrick Rose this year. This was the way it used to be maybe 7-8 years ago and I'm fine with it coming back.
2) Reduce maximum roster size to 15 players and eliminate the IR spot. This puts more guys back into the FA pool and adds a level of strategy/assessment for JBL owners. Do they want to hold onto an injured guy all year?? The other part of this rule would be the $300 dollar hard cap. Right now, you can go over $300 because we don't count the injured players salary against the cap (check out the Kok's roster right now for this example). In future state, we would have 15 players, regardless of injury status and you couldn't exceed the $300 salary cap. I think it adds a nice wrinkle.
Alright, that's it for me tonight. Enjoy week 13...
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hump Day Blues...
I'm starting to dislike the way my team is shooting these days...
The 3PT% race is super tight and I have 'jackers'. I got rid of Delfino tonight as he's just too inconsistent. One night he's great and the next night he's nothing. Brought back John Salmons who is still starting and playing OK in Sacramento.
I'm regretting my trade of Calderon for MKG. Calderon has been very good for Seoul while MKG's long term appeal hasn't translated into short term results.
I love the Iman Shumpert signing by Montreal. Well done lads.Worth the risk.
I'm perplexed by the Idaho signing of Timothy Mozgov. Hey, I get it, he's trying to jump the rumored deal where Mozgov lands somewhere (Miami?) and gets consistent playing time. I like the thought. What perplexes me is that Idaho only had $2 bucks left on his FA budget for the entire year. So, he used a buck tonight on a total chance that Mozgov will become relevant. What adds to the mystery is that Tuna might just have the best Center combination in the entire JBL already (Jefferson and Noah). Neither of those guys can play Forward. So, even if Mozgov becomes a relevant player - he won't be able to stick him into his lineup without additional moves. Not sure I would have burned one of my last $2 dollars on this guy.
Or wait..this guy..
Oh no, this guy...
Kyle Lowry had a monster night...will he be able to keep it up?
Chilliwack has the JBL reigns now. He's in the lead and has a very solid and consistent team. It appears the 1046 points he's at can be maintained with the roster he has. The Offs are 1st in three categories and has comfortable leads in all of them. Doesn't look like he's going anywhere in ATO and that's clearly by design. The other categories he seems solidly locked into those spots. The Offs also have a pretty nice 'keeper chip' to play in Andre Drummond if he so desired. So, will 1046 points be enough to win? Maybe. Maybe not.
That's all for tonight. Short and sweet. Consider yourselves Mozgov'd.
The 3PT% race is super tight and I have 'jackers'. I got rid of Delfino tonight as he's just too inconsistent. One night he's great and the next night he's nothing. Brought back John Salmons who is still starting and playing OK in Sacramento.
I'm regretting my trade of Calderon for MKG. Calderon has been very good for Seoul while MKG's long term appeal hasn't translated into short term results.
I love the Iman Shumpert signing by Montreal. Well done lads.Worth the risk.
I'm perplexed by the Idaho signing of Timothy Mozgov. Hey, I get it, he's trying to jump the rumored deal where Mozgov lands somewhere (Miami?) and gets consistent playing time. I like the thought. What perplexes me is that Idaho only had $2 bucks left on his FA budget for the entire year. So, he used a buck tonight on a total chance that Mozgov will become relevant. What adds to the mystery is that Tuna might just have the best Center combination in the entire JBL already (Jefferson and Noah). Neither of those guys can play Forward. So, even if Mozgov becomes a relevant player - he won't be able to stick him into his lineup without additional moves. Not sure I would have burned one of my last $2 dollars on this guy.
Or wait..this guy..
Kyle Lowry had a monster night...will he be able to keep it up?
Chilliwack has the JBL reigns now. He's in the lead and has a very solid and consistent team. It appears the 1046 points he's at can be maintained with the roster he has. The Offs are 1st in three categories and has comfortable leads in all of them. Doesn't look like he's going anywhere in ATO and that's clearly by design. The other categories he seems solidly locked into those spots. The Offs also have a pretty nice 'keeper chip' to play in Andre Drummond if he so desired. So, will 1046 points be enough to win? Maybe. Maybe not.
That's all for tonight. Short and sweet. Consider yourselves Mozgov'd.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Week 12 Ahead...
As we approach the midpoint of the JBL/NBA season we saw a blockbuster trade on Sunday. Seoul traded away Kobe, Garnett and Kevin Martin for Lebron. Does that seem like a lot to give up for Lebron? Or is that really just indicating how good of a fantasy season he's really having? Should I break down the deal? Do we really want to know why each side did this trade? I don't. At the midway point I think this is a good trade for both teams. Why not make this deal? Both Seoul and MBB are in the middle of the pack. As they were currently constructed neither was a likely money spot contender. So why not make this deal?
MBB has been kicked in the nuts this year with Kevin Love's injuries and poor shooting. He just added 3 guys to a roster that still featured Jerryd Bayless and Meyers Leonard. The #6 pick in our JBL Rookie Draft finally hits the Free Agent wire. That's now 5 lottery picked rookies that have failed to hold down a roster spot. MBB has been hovering in the 6-9 range all year and by adding 3 players he may be able to push for a top 5 spot. On the other hand, he might not. But at least he's trying. If he doesn't make this deal he hovers in mediocrity. With the trade, who knows, maybe he goes up, maybe he goes down. There's no risk at this time.
And you knew Seoul was going to continue to shake and bake like Ricky Bobby this season. The Brothers team is underachieving (or maybe it's just the owner that's underachieving?) and was destined to be split up. Lebron is a likely 'keeper' candidate in Seoul as Phil will likely build around the King and a General (Greivis) for next season. Woo is abandoning scoring and focusing on the other 6 categories. Of course, Lebron had a wonderful debut tonight for Seoul.
Big Baby made his return for the Showers tonight. I didn't think I would miss the fat slob but his 16 and 8 averages were missed over the last 4 weeks. He only played 18 minutes tonight and the Magic still lost but at least he appears to be ready to play. I was watching the tweets all day wondering if I was going to play him or have to start my least favorite player these days (Alexey Shved). My love affair with the Russian has hit the skids due to his horrible, and I mean horrible, shooting %'s. Watching the T-Wolves game tonight made me think he needs glasses or something. His shots are way off.
The other frustrating rotation player these days is Danny Green. He's still the starter in SA but manages just 20 minutes it seems. This weeks Golden role player will be Carlos Delfino. He's one of the streakiest shooters out there so I'll see if he sinks or helps me this week.
Tonight is one of those nights of why I traded for Russell Westbrook.
Dion Waiters is having a big game for Idaho. 33 points and good shooting? Oh wait, it is against the Kings. The kick in the nuts part is that he didn't get him in his lineup. Idaho also chose to bench Al Jefferson this week as he only played 2 games. Well, in his first game he went for 23 and 11 vs. the Heat. That's a second kick to the nards my friend.
Is anyone else surprised that General Greivis got 5 of 10 votes in the most recent poll?
I'm obviously closely watching the situation with Kings and their potential sale to Seattle billionaire Chris Hansen. If and when it happens, I do plan on being in the Key Arena on opening night. Trevor and I were there on that final night when we watched a young Durantula light up the Mavericks while desperate fans chanted 'Save our Sonics' and we plan on being there when the Sonics come back to life. Which, according to this website, has already happened. www.sonicsfever.com
Some random stat lines and observations from around the Association:
Big game for DeMarcus in Brussels. 26pts, 14rebs, 6/3ato, 2stl, 3blk. Nice.
Chris Bosh had 1 rebound tonight.
Jan Vesely had 10 points, 7 rebs, and 4 assists in 25 minutes.
Nikola Vucevic had his 7th double-double in a row tonight.
Carlos Boozer is quietly effective these days.
Jason Terry doesn't fit in Beantown.
Ersanity might not exist anymore.
NBA teams that need a shake up:
- Jazz - too many big men. Favors needs to be let loose. Going nowhere with this bunch
- Bucks - point proven again - a small back court of Ellis and Jennings does not work
- Bobcats - they need a proven scorer - not 12 guys to play 24 minutes each
- Pistons - time to let the young big man loose. Prince should go to a contender.
- Suns - they seem disinterested already. Dragic seems bored or is just a sore loser. Not a franchise changer
- Magic -veterans galore (Davis, Nelson, Turkoglu) to trade to contenders for young, cheap talent.
That's all for tonight...enjoy the week ahead.
MBB has been kicked in the nuts this year with Kevin Love's injuries and poor shooting. He just added 3 guys to a roster that still featured Jerryd Bayless and Meyers Leonard. The #6 pick in our JBL Rookie Draft finally hits the Free Agent wire. That's now 5 lottery picked rookies that have failed to hold down a roster spot. MBB has been hovering in the 6-9 range all year and by adding 3 players he may be able to push for a top 5 spot. On the other hand, he might not. But at least he's trying. If he doesn't make this deal he hovers in mediocrity. With the trade, who knows, maybe he goes up, maybe he goes down. There's no risk at this time.
And you knew Seoul was going to continue to shake and bake like Ricky Bobby this season. The Brothers team is underachieving (or maybe it's just the owner that's underachieving?) and was destined to be split up. Lebron is a likely 'keeper' candidate in Seoul as Phil will likely build around the King and a General (Greivis) for next season. Woo is abandoning scoring and focusing on the other 6 categories. Of course, Lebron had a wonderful debut tonight for Seoul.
Big Baby made his return for the Showers tonight. I didn't think I would miss the fat slob but his 16 and 8 averages were missed over the last 4 weeks. He only played 18 minutes tonight and the Magic still lost but at least he appears to be ready to play. I was watching the tweets all day wondering if I was going to play him or have to start my least favorite player these days (Alexey Shved). My love affair with the Russian has hit the skids due to his horrible, and I mean horrible, shooting %'s. Watching the T-Wolves game tonight made me think he needs glasses or something. His shots are way off.
The other frustrating rotation player these days is Danny Green. He's still the starter in SA but manages just 20 minutes it seems. This weeks Golden role player will be Carlos Delfino. He's one of the streakiest shooters out there so I'll see if he sinks or helps me this week.
Tonight is one of those nights of why I traded for Russell Westbrook.
Dion Waiters is having a big game for Idaho. 33 points and good shooting? Oh wait, it is against the Kings. The kick in the nuts part is that he didn't get him in his lineup. Idaho also chose to bench Al Jefferson this week as he only played 2 games. Well, in his first game he went for 23 and 11 vs. the Heat. That's a second kick to the nards my friend.
Is anyone else surprised that General Greivis got 5 of 10 votes in the most recent poll?
I'm obviously closely watching the situation with Kings and their potential sale to Seattle billionaire Chris Hansen. If and when it happens, I do plan on being in the Key Arena on opening night. Trevor and I were there on that final night when we watched a young Durantula light up the Mavericks while desperate fans chanted 'Save our Sonics' and we plan on being there when the Sonics come back to life. Which, according to this website, has already happened. www.sonicsfever.com
Some random stat lines and observations from around the Association:
Big game for DeMarcus in Brussels. 26pts, 14rebs, 6/3ato, 2stl, 3blk. Nice.
Chris Bosh had 1 rebound tonight.
Jan Vesely had 10 points, 7 rebs, and 4 assists in 25 minutes.
Nikola Vucevic had his 7th double-double in a row tonight.
Carlos Boozer is quietly effective these days.
Jason Terry doesn't fit in Beantown.
Ersanity might not exist anymore.
NBA teams that need a shake up:
- Jazz - too many big men. Favors needs to be let loose. Going nowhere with this bunch
- Bucks - point proven again - a small back court of Ellis and Jennings does not work
- Bobcats - they need a proven scorer - not 12 guys to play 24 minutes each
- Pistons - time to let the young big man loose. Prince should go to a contender.
- Suns - they seem disinterested already. Dragic seems bored or is just a sore loser. Not a franchise changer
- Magic -veterans galore (Davis, Nelson, Turkoglu) to trade to contenders for young, cheap talent.
That's all for tonight...enjoy the week ahead.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Free Willy!
No, wait, that's my Saturday night bedroom line...
Free Ersanity! Yes, that's the one. Scott Skiles, the most frustrating fantasy coach around, has been fired. I don't care who they bring in - he won't be as frustrating as Skiles. I would think finally the Bucks will establish a rotation where guys will get consistent minutes. Ersan and his big contract will/should be in the mix for some consistent PT. Fingers crossed.
The other thing I've been asked to comment on is the recent Brussels and French trade that saw Brussels acquire Martell Webster (22pts tonight) for Avery Bradley and Zaza Pachulia. On the surface I saw the trade email in my inbox and thought - wow, 2 guys for Webster, that's a lot. Then, the next 2 emails I saw were drops for French - immediately dropping Bradley and Pachulia. So, he gave Webster to Brussels for no one?
My initial thought was the Celtics connection with French and that's why Bradley was in the deal. French loves his Celtics and Bradley could be a fantasy factor down the line. Then, once French realized he was 2 players over the maximum roster limit - he released Bradley and Zaza. That's my rationale for the whole trade. Nothing sinister going on here folks.
Of course, the timing of it all looks horrible. Essentially, French just gave Webster to Brussels. For nothing. That's the part that looks bad on the surface. I think the fact that Brussels only has $1 Free Agent dollar also played a factor in this deal as Timmy no longer has any flexibility to bring in other guys except through trade.
The final item I've been asked to comment on is my thoughts on the whole Derrick Rose situation. Yes, Rose is a keeper for next season. He'll be $8 bucks. This is how it's been done in the past and we'll honour the rule this season of course. Now, should we consider changing the rule for next season - yes - I think we should consider it and discuss it. Personally, I've never had a problem with it because that injured player is taking up a roster spot on their team. That being said, I'm always willing to listen to potential rules changes to make the JBL better. Will French (or another team) have an advantage by getting Rose for $8 bucks next season? Absolutely. Does it guarantee him the title? No, not at all. Let me throw out some things to consider if we decided to change the rule.
Currently, the rules are very simple.
A) Any player drafted at Auction is eligible for protection (provided he meets all other criteria during the season). Some of the other provisions include the player must be on your roster by the NBA All-Star break. The player must not be in the 'Final' year of his contract, etc.
B) Any player signed as a Free Agent during the course of the NBA season must play at least 20 regular season NBA games. A good example - let's say I sign Greg Oden as a Free Agent this week. He isn't even on a team right now but does appear in our Free Agent list. I can sign him. However, he must play in 20 regular season NBA games for him to be eligible as a keeper for next season.
So, the easiest thought on this whole situation would probably be to just apply the 20 game rule to all players. However, I'm not sure that's fair in all cases. What if I draft very wisely on Auction night and land a bargain of a player who turns out to be a star in the making? Let's say in the 19th game of the NBA season he blows his knee and is gone for the year and doesn't play another game. He didn't play in 20 games so I don't get to keep him?? Why shouldn't I be able to keep him? I drafted him. I will keep him on my roster for the rest of the season so I should be able to keep him. That's my argument against the minimum 20 game rule.
Let me add another wrinkle to this situation that I think is worth exploring. What if we reduced the maximum number of players on a JBL roster by one spot by eliminating the INJURED RESERVE spot?? Would teams really want to hold onto guys when they only have 3 bench spots? Right now, teams can keep guys like Rose, Wilson Chandler, Andrew Bogut, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, etc on their IR spot and it doesn't really hurt them. It would make things a little more interesting removing the IR spot. It also would add additional players to our Free Agent pool as teams would have to decide on whether they wanted to keep healthy or injured guys on their bench or wait for an injured guy to return.
Would Chilliwack really be holding onto Danny Granger?
Would Bangkok have made the trade for Bynum when he already had John Wall injured?
I think reducing the roster size from 16 to 15 would be very interesting...
It also eliminates the need for me to go through the rosters at the start of each week to make sure no one has a non-injured guy in the IR spot.
Both items are worth discussing over the course of the JBL season and into the summer months. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the 'keeper rule' for players like Derrick Rose. Of course, it will be known as the 'Derrick Rose Rule'. I also want to hear your thoughts on going to a 15 man roster with no Injured Reserve spot. Personally, I think the 15 man roster is a no-brainer. I like it already.
And don't worry French - you'll still be able to protect Derrick Rose - provided of course you stay out of the 13 hole. That is all. Go about your business.
Free Ersanity! Yes, that's the one. Scott Skiles, the most frustrating fantasy coach around, has been fired. I don't care who they bring in - he won't be as frustrating as Skiles. I would think finally the Bucks will establish a rotation where guys will get consistent minutes. Ersan and his big contract will/should be in the mix for some consistent PT. Fingers crossed.
The other thing I've been asked to comment on is the recent Brussels and French trade that saw Brussels acquire Martell Webster (22pts tonight) for Avery Bradley and Zaza Pachulia. On the surface I saw the trade email in my inbox and thought - wow, 2 guys for Webster, that's a lot. Then, the next 2 emails I saw were drops for French - immediately dropping Bradley and Pachulia. So, he gave Webster to Brussels for no one?
My initial thought was the Celtics connection with French and that's why Bradley was in the deal. French loves his Celtics and Bradley could be a fantasy factor down the line. Then, once French realized he was 2 players over the maximum roster limit - he released Bradley and Zaza. That's my rationale for the whole trade. Nothing sinister going on here folks.
Of course, the timing of it all looks horrible. Essentially, French just gave Webster to Brussels. For nothing. That's the part that looks bad on the surface. I think the fact that Brussels only has $1 Free Agent dollar also played a factor in this deal as Timmy no longer has any flexibility to bring in other guys except through trade.
The final item I've been asked to comment on is my thoughts on the whole Derrick Rose situation. Yes, Rose is a keeper for next season. He'll be $8 bucks. This is how it's been done in the past and we'll honour the rule this season of course. Now, should we consider changing the rule for next season - yes - I think we should consider it and discuss it. Personally, I've never had a problem with it because that injured player is taking up a roster spot on their team. That being said, I'm always willing to listen to potential rules changes to make the JBL better. Will French (or another team) have an advantage by getting Rose for $8 bucks next season? Absolutely. Does it guarantee him the title? No, not at all. Let me throw out some things to consider if we decided to change the rule.
Currently, the rules are very simple.
A) Any player drafted at Auction is eligible for protection (provided he meets all other criteria during the season). Some of the other provisions include the player must be on your roster by the NBA All-Star break. The player must not be in the 'Final' year of his contract, etc.
B) Any player signed as a Free Agent during the course of the NBA season must play at least 20 regular season NBA games. A good example - let's say I sign Greg Oden as a Free Agent this week. He isn't even on a team right now but does appear in our Free Agent list. I can sign him. However, he must play in 20 regular season NBA games for him to be eligible as a keeper for next season.
So, the easiest thought on this whole situation would probably be to just apply the 20 game rule to all players. However, I'm not sure that's fair in all cases. What if I draft very wisely on Auction night and land a bargain of a player who turns out to be a star in the making? Let's say in the 19th game of the NBA season he blows his knee and is gone for the year and doesn't play another game. He didn't play in 20 games so I don't get to keep him?? Why shouldn't I be able to keep him? I drafted him. I will keep him on my roster for the rest of the season so I should be able to keep him. That's my argument against the minimum 20 game rule.
Let me add another wrinkle to this situation that I think is worth exploring. What if we reduced the maximum number of players on a JBL roster by one spot by eliminating the INJURED RESERVE spot?? Would teams really want to hold onto guys when they only have 3 bench spots? Right now, teams can keep guys like Rose, Wilson Chandler, Andrew Bogut, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, etc on their IR spot and it doesn't really hurt them. It would make things a little more interesting removing the IR spot. It also would add additional players to our Free Agent pool as teams would have to decide on whether they wanted to keep healthy or injured guys on their bench or wait for an injured guy to return.
Would Chilliwack really be holding onto Danny Granger?
Would Bangkok have made the trade for Bynum when he already had John Wall injured?
I think reducing the roster size from 16 to 15 would be very interesting...
It also eliminates the need for me to go through the rosters at the start of each week to make sure no one has a non-injured guy in the IR spot.
Both items are worth discussing over the course of the JBL season and into the summer months. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the 'keeper rule' for players like Derrick Rose. Of course, it will be known as the 'Derrick Rose Rule'. I also want to hear your thoughts on going to a 15 man roster with no Injured Reserve spot. Personally, I think the 15 man roster is a no-brainer. I like it already.
And don't worry French - you'll still be able to protect Derrick Rose - provided of course you stay out of the 13 hole. That is all. Go about your business.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Sunday Morning - Week 10
Here it is Sunday, January 6th. The news of the day has to be the return of the NHL. But, to be honest, I don't care. I haven't missed hockey at all. I didn't watch the World Juniors (but who did with games at 1:30am). I don't attend Canucks games (last one I attended was Ryan's 1st game - Game 7 vs the Blackhawks). I don't even really watch Saturday night CBC Hockey Night in Canada games. I was a casual fan at best. Now, I'm not even sure I will be a casual fan. I am interested in seeing what the impact is on NHL teams in non-traditional hockey markets. Of course the NHL will survive in Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, New York, Philly, etc. But what happens in Carolina, Nashville, Florida, Tampa Bay, Phoenix, etc? Will teams survive? Will fans care? Who knows, who cares? I don't.
The JBL's 10th week is wrapping up today with a light NBA schedule. This week has been super busy with a flurry of trades.
- Golden gets Aldridge from Brussels for Cousins/Biyombo
- Golden gets MKG from Seoul for Calderon/Johnson
- French gets Monroe/Rose from Idaho for Noah/Lawson
For my Golden squad, I wanted a Blazer and another big (20+) scorer. Aldridge fits the bill. Of course, it certainly looked like Cousins was liking his time in Golden. He averaged 25 and 15 this week. Yowzers. Of course, looking at Sacramento's opponents - I had hoped that Cuz would go off. That being said, the comparisons to C-Webb came out this week and I hope I don't regret this deal down the line.
My love/hate relationship with Calderon continued this week. I love him when Lowry is injured and hate him when Lowry is healthy. Well, guess what, Lowry is back. Sure, Calderon's had a decent week and even had a 13/0 ATO game without scoring a single point. I'm going to hope that my ATO is decent enough to do without him and was able to land a promising but inconsistent rookie in MKG. He's by no means a super rookie like Lillard or Davis but he's been solid. 50% shooting. 11ppg. 6 rebounds. 25 steals and 40 blocks. A nice depth player for the Showers team right now.
The big deal of the week was the French/Idaho trade. Idaho decided to let the #1 keeper go to French for a Noah/Lawson package. On top of that - Idaho sent Monroe over to French too. This is obviously a move that helps Idaho right now and should give him hope for a money finish (or to at least get over the left hand side of the live scoreboard). This move for French was about Derrick Rose and his $3 dollar salary. This trade, based on current standings, will be very popular with other JBL owners. You see, in Idaho, Derrick Rose would certainly be a keeper for next season. In French, that's not a certainty yet as French is sitting in 13th spot 80 points behind 12th place. In 13th, French would of course have no keepers. For all of us who really don't want to see French have an $8 dollar Rose on his roster next season - you can bet we'll be watching the Legends progress over the final 13 weeks of the season. Can French get out of the basement? Of course he can. In fact, read the names on his roster and he should be able to move up into the top 10 - but that's not a certainty at this time. Derrick Rose just moved from the 9th place team to the 13th place team so we'll all be watching.
MBB suffered a huge blow when Love re-broke his hand and will miss an extended period of time....again. The big question - will Bobby realize it? And will MBB sign a Free Agent to replace him? Yuma is the big winner in this Love injury as he had stashed Dante Cunningham from the 1st injury. My question again - will Yuma realize this and get him active in his lineup?
Free Agent of the week - Carlos Delfino. If you need 3PT% - he's your guy. He made 14 triples this week (in 4 games) while shooting 58% from downtown and averaging 13ppg. He is a bit streaky to say the least though. Buyer beware.
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