2013/14 JBL CHAMPIONS....
Chilliwack Offs.
Kevin Durant. Lebron James. Tim Duncan. Paul George. The big 4 of the Chilliwack Offs. And don't forget the contributions that Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond provided before being shipped out.
And check out these 2 players...
Player A - 32ppg, 7reb, 50% FG, 39% 3PT, 103 steals, 59 blocks, 1.561 ATO
Player B - 27ppg, 7reb, 57% FG, 38% 3PT, 121 steals, 26 blocks, 1.807 ATO
That's what it's like to have Durant (A) and James (B) on your team. Has one team ever sported the top 2 Fantasy studs??
Duncan averaged 15-6-2 in his 40 games in Chilliwack.
Paul George was 22 and 7 with 151 steals.
Kawhi Leonard was 13ppg, 6reb, 52/38%, 114 steals, and 49 blocks.
Kevin Martin averaged 19ppg while shooting 39% from downtown.
Miles Plumlee, Brandon Bass, and Paul Pierce were the perfect complimentary pieces.
Everything went pretty well in the Valley this season.
I will say that the LVP of this squad turned out to be OJ Mayo. What a disappointment this guy was. Didn't the Wack protect him? He ended up in 34 games for the Offs but averaged just 11ppg while shooting 37/32. So at least it wasn't a perfect season.
Paul George finally goes back into the Auction this season. Thank goodness.
So who will Benny protect for next season?? Don't be surprised if Lebron (for $87) and Durant (for $83) both return for another season. K-Mart will likely be back with just a $10 dollar salary. That's a bargain for a near 20ppg scorer.
Benny's team was in 1st place from week 2. Most of the time his lead was over 100 points. It was a year of dominance from the Wack. Now, can he win back-to-back? Will Cord do the Auction again for him? Will Benny land the #13 rookie pick or will lady-luck shine on his one ping pong ball and move him up the lottery board?? All things to be answered this fall...
And finally, before I sign off...here are my top 13 rookie picks (1st edition)...
And yes, that means my 2014/15 research has already begun..
1. Joel Embiid
2. Jabari Parker
3. Andrew Wiggins
4. Julius Randle
5. Marcus Smart
6. Dante Exum
7. Noah Vonleh
8. Kyle Anderson
9. Doug McDermott
10. Gary Harris
11. Aaron Gordon
12. Rodney Hood
13. Nick Stauskas (just to get a 2nd Canadian kid in the JBL lottery)
Good day sirs.
Friday, April 18, 2014
2013/14 Year in Review - Part 3
Part 3...
4th place - Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas
The Mamas are becoming one of the most consistent contenders in the JBL. This year they finished 4th and the two previous years they've finished 3rd. That's 3 straight years of money spots. They also hold the distinction of being the last team not named Chilliwack, Seoul, or Golden to win the JBL crown. That was 2000/01. This year's Mamas team was very solid as 12 of the guys played more than 57 active games for them. In total, only 24 players came through town. But why change anything when you have core performers like Carmelo, Klay, Kemba, Thaddeus, and Conley. The only weakness for Juan was the FG% as they were 12th in that category. This team should clearly be a favourite again in 2014/15 for title contention.
MVP - Carmelo. I've long believed that you can't win the JBL crown with Carmelo. Well, I take that back. Despite me not liking the way he plays the NBA game - his fantasy numbers are incredible. 27ppg and 8reb. His %'s are quite good (45 and 40) considering how many shots he takes. He added 96 steals and 51 blocks.
LVP - Roy Hibbert. I will explain. At $46 bucks, this 7'2 center should give you more than 10 and 6. How can someone that tall only grab 6 rebounds a game?? I love the 181 blocks but I expected so much more from Big Roy. Also, how does he shoot 44% from the field???
Unsung Hero - This was a hard one because of how good the core was in Juan. But I'll give the award to DeMarre Carroll. He played 45 games for Juan when called upon and averaged 11 and 5 while shooting 48 and 37. Not bad for someone plucked off the waiver wire.
Prized Keepers - How about Carmelo for $47 bucks? Maybe the young PG in Utah Trey Burke for $7? What about Kemba? Henson? Afflalo? There are some decisions to be made this off season.
3rd place - Maui Ribs
Like a fine wine Trevor is getting better with age. One of JBL originals has strung together back to back good seasons. This year he finished 3rd. Last year he was 6th. This season he was just 22 rebounds shy of a 2nd place finish. Maui has greatly benefited from back to back #1 rookie picks (Unibrow and Oladipo) and both of those guys played key roles in the successful year. Also, keeping Dirk and Chandler Parsons allowed Maui to build off a very strong core. Trev and I drafted from Whistler and he must have channelled his inner-Golden as his team looked more like a Showers draft than my did. He had Tony Allen, Spencer Hawes, Ibaka, Splitter and I loved his team heading into the season. Trev finished 3rd and only used 18 players all season!! That means he only added 3 guys all year. Imagine if his Bynum pick had paid off? Well, Maui should be well stocked for next season with 4 very capable keepers and we'll have to see what kind of rookie pick Trevor winds up with this season.
MVP - I think Anthony Davis is one of the best Fantasy studs out there but I'm giving the Maui MVP to Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk played 13 more games than the Unibrow and Dirk averaged 22 and 6 while shooting 50% and 40%. He also chipped in 73 steals and 45 blocks and had a 1.830 ATO. All at an age when Dirk was supposed to be washed up. Congrats Dirk - you're still the man.
LVP - Andrew Bynum was worth drafting as a gamble. Had he somehow gotten healthy and put up big numbers Maui might have been a title contender. As it turned out, he couldn't stay healthy was a major bust.
Unsung Hero - There are a couple of candidates here with Parsons and Oladipo but my favourite was Spencer Hawes. A $5 dollar center that averaged 13 and 8 with 86 blocks and 46/42 shooting %'s. Very nice.
Prized Keepers - Anthony Davis for $25? Yes please. 21ppg, 10reb, 51% with 89 steals and 189 blocks in just 67 games!! Maybe he should have been Maui's MVP. Add in guys like Dirk, Oladipo, Parsons, and Dragic and Maui's cupboard is full of goodies.
2nd place - Brussels Muscles
The Muscles skyrocketed to the top of the standings after 10th and 13th place finishes over the last 2 seasons. 36 players and 13 trades this season had Brussels challenging for top spot. In the end, it was the 3PT shooting (10th) that was his issue. They were 1st in steals and rebounds and were 3rd in scoring. But this was going to be the Wack's year once he cashed in his Drummond chip. The Muscles started the year with 2 excellent keepers in Lillard and Vucevic. And it was wonderful to see the Lillard chip cashed in to take a shot at the title. That's good JBL'ing. Sure, it didn't pan out - but he tried. Love it. Pau Gasol and his vertigo can be blamed for the poor stretch run. The core of this team - Cousins, Millsap, Batum, Wall, Knight, Rubio, Stephenson, Waiters - were simply awesome. Now, Brussels will have 4 keeper spots to build upon for next season. They are well positioned for another JBL title run.
MVP - DeMarcus Cousins. 23 and 12 while shooting 50% and adding 109 steals and 91 blocks. Yummy.
LVP - Tough call when this squad was so good but I'm going with Greg Monroe. He played 38 games for Brussels and did average 14 and 8. But this was a $48 dollar guy that should have improved. Unfortunately, Detroit was a mess and Monroe was just average in my books. Add in the fact that he only blocked 19 shots in those 38 games for Brussels and I had to give him my LVP. Of course, the easy choice was the Larry Sanders experiment but that's already been touched on.
Unsung Hero - Lance Stephenson wasn't even drafted at Auction last year. Timmy spent big FA dollars on him and boy did that move pay off. 14ppg, 7reb, 5ast and 49% FG. Very good stuff for a FA pickup.
Prized Keepers - Vucevic for $11 bucks still has to be the best value but guys like Knight, Stephenson and Waiters will be in the mix for a roster spot next season...
That's all for this morning...
Next up, the breakdown of the 2013/14 champion Chilliwack Offs and Johnny's Top 10 Rookie Picks for next season.
Enjoy your weekend.
4th place - Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas
The Mamas are becoming one of the most consistent contenders in the JBL. This year they finished 4th and the two previous years they've finished 3rd. That's 3 straight years of money spots. They also hold the distinction of being the last team not named Chilliwack, Seoul, or Golden to win the JBL crown. That was 2000/01. This year's Mamas team was very solid as 12 of the guys played more than 57 active games for them. In total, only 24 players came through town. But why change anything when you have core performers like Carmelo, Klay, Kemba, Thaddeus, and Conley. The only weakness for Juan was the FG% as they were 12th in that category. This team should clearly be a favourite again in 2014/15 for title contention.
MVP - Carmelo. I've long believed that you can't win the JBL crown with Carmelo. Well, I take that back. Despite me not liking the way he plays the NBA game - his fantasy numbers are incredible. 27ppg and 8reb. His %'s are quite good (45 and 40) considering how many shots he takes. He added 96 steals and 51 blocks.
LVP - Roy Hibbert. I will explain. At $46 bucks, this 7'2 center should give you more than 10 and 6. How can someone that tall only grab 6 rebounds a game?? I love the 181 blocks but I expected so much more from Big Roy. Also, how does he shoot 44% from the field???
Unsung Hero - This was a hard one because of how good the core was in Juan. But I'll give the award to DeMarre Carroll. He played 45 games for Juan when called upon and averaged 11 and 5 while shooting 48 and 37. Not bad for someone plucked off the waiver wire.
Prized Keepers - How about Carmelo for $47 bucks? Maybe the young PG in Utah Trey Burke for $7? What about Kemba? Henson? Afflalo? There are some decisions to be made this off season.
3rd place - Maui Ribs
Like a fine wine Trevor is getting better with age. One of JBL originals has strung together back to back good seasons. This year he finished 3rd. Last year he was 6th. This season he was just 22 rebounds shy of a 2nd place finish. Maui has greatly benefited from back to back #1 rookie picks (Unibrow and Oladipo) and both of those guys played key roles in the successful year. Also, keeping Dirk and Chandler Parsons allowed Maui to build off a very strong core. Trev and I drafted from Whistler and he must have channelled his inner-Golden as his team looked more like a Showers draft than my did. He had Tony Allen, Spencer Hawes, Ibaka, Splitter and I loved his team heading into the season. Trev finished 3rd and only used 18 players all season!! That means he only added 3 guys all year. Imagine if his Bynum pick had paid off? Well, Maui should be well stocked for next season with 4 very capable keepers and we'll have to see what kind of rookie pick Trevor winds up with this season.
MVP - I think Anthony Davis is one of the best Fantasy studs out there but I'm giving the Maui MVP to Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk played 13 more games than the Unibrow and Dirk averaged 22 and 6 while shooting 50% and 40%. He also chipped in 73 steals and 45 blocks and had a 1.830 ATO. All at an age when Dirk was supposed to be washed up. Congrats Dirk - you're still the man.
LVP - Andrew Bynum was worth drafting as a gamble. Had he somehow gotten healthy and put up big numbers Maui might have been a title contender. As it turned out, he couldn't stay healthy was a major bust.
Unsung Hero - There are a couple of candidates here with Parsons and Oladipo but my favourite was Spencer Hawes. A $5 dollar center that averaged 13 and 8 with 86 blocks and 46/42 shooting %'s. Very nice.
Prized Keepers - Anthony Davis for $25? Yes please. 21ppg, 10reb, 51% with 89 steals and 189 blocks in just 67 games!! Maybe he should have been Maui's MVP. Add in guys like Dirk, Oladipo, Parsons, and Dragic and Maui's cupboard is full of goodies.
2nd place - Brussels Muscles
The Muscles skyrocketed to the top of the standings after 10th and 13th place finishes over the last 2 seasons. 36 players and 13 trades this season had Brussels challenging for top spot. In the end, it was the 3PT shooting (10th) that was his issue. They were 1st in steals and rebounds and were 3rd in scoring. But this was going to be the Wack's year once he cashed in his Drummond chip. The Muscles started the year with 2 excellent keepers in Lillard and Vucevic. And it was wonderful to see the Lillard chip cashed in to take a shot at the title. That's good JBL'ing. Sure, it didn't pan out - but he tried. Love it. Pau Gasol and his vertigo can be blamed for the poor stretch run. The core of this team - Cousins, Millsap, Batum, Wall, Knight, Rubio, Stephenson, Waiters - were simply awesome. Now, Brussels will have 4 keeper spots to build upon for next season. They are well positioned for another JBL title run.
MVP - DeMarcus Cousins. 23 and 12 while shooting 50% and adding 109 steals and 91 blocks. Yummy.
LVP - Tough call when this squad was so good but I'm going with Greg Monroe. He played 38 games for Brussels and did average 14 and 8. But this was a $48 dollar guy that should have improved. Unfortunately, Detroit was a mess and Monroe was just average in my books. Add in the fact that he only blocked 19 shots in those 38 games for Brussels and I had to give him my LVP. Of course, the easy choice was the Larry Sanders experiment but that's already been touched on.
Unsung Hero - Lance Stephenson wasn't even drafted at Auction last year. Timmy spent big FA dollars on him and boy did that move pay off. 14ppg, 7reb, 5ast and 49% FG. Very good stuff for a FA pickup.
Prized Keepers - Vucevic for $11 bucks still has to be the best value but guys like Knight, Stephenson and Waiters will be in the mix for a roster spot next season...
That's all for this morning...
Next up, the breakdown of the 2013/14 champion Chilliwack Offs and Johnny's Top 10 Rookie Picks for next season.
Enjoy your weekend.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
2013/14 Year in Review - Part 2
Carrying on...
9th place - Idaho Udapimps
The Pimps were hanging around in the 5th to 8th range for the longest time. Unfortunately, they slipped to 9th in the last 7-10 days of the season and ultimately only end up with 2 keepers. The last 3 years have produced 9th, 7th, and 7th place finishes so this middle of the pack ending should not be surprising. This squad was built around super-keeper James Harden and draftees Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. The Pimps struggled in 3PT% and ATO will look to rebuild his squad through the draft next season. You gotta give the kid credit for trying as he used 49 players this season. Nice work.
MVP - James Harden. He finally goes back into the Auction. How much will his 25-4-6 go for at the draft? Fear the beard will be on many people's draft boards as he continues to improve.
LVP - Andre Iguodala. Look, I like Iggy. Great all around player. Just not the fantasy force he once was. He's better in real life than in the JBL. He was drafted for $32 bucks and put up 9-4-4??? Shocking.
Unsung Hero - Kris Humphries. Mr. Kardashian surprised me by putting up 10ppg, 7reb, and 1bpg in 34 games for the Pimps.
Prized Keepers - Rondo and Rose will likely be Idaho's 2 keepers. He'll be hoping that both of them return to 100% before next season.
8th place - French Lick Legends
Losing Al Horford to season ending surgery early in the season was a devastating blow. Adding insult to injury was trading Klay Thompson for the always high Larry SANDERS!. Whoops. That kinda set the tone for French's season of mediocrity. Steals and ATO were the biggest issues in Larry's home town this past season. The past 3 seasons now have produced this 8th place finish preceded by a 12th place finish and a 2nd place finish. Again, all stops were pulled out as French used 51 roster players this season and made 13 trades.
MVP - DeAndre Jordan. 82 games. 10ppg, 14reb, 203 blocks, 80 steals, 68% FG%. Enough said. The guy was a monster. Love his game for Fantasy. Who cares about awful FT% when he does all that.
LVP - Al Horford & Larry Sanders. 32 combined games. Yes, they would have helped a lot!
Unsung Hero - Randy Foye. I didn't expect him to average 15ppg in his 31 games for French. He also hit at 40% from downtown. Nice work for a guy considered by many to be irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Prized Keepers - Jordan and Lillard. 2 very solid studs for next season. Jordan will be $19 and Lillard will be going into Year 3 of his rookie deal for $22 bucks.
7th place - Arctic Circle Jerks
I had to go to the tie-breaker rules (head to head categories) to determine that Arctic will finish 7th. Norfolk won the head to head categories 4 to 3 to get 6th. The good news for Arctic is the extra ping pong ball for the Rookie Lottery. If that floats your boat at all. This years 7th place finish comes after his runner up finish from 2012/13 and his 8th place finish in 2011/12. This year's Circle Jerks were built through his keepers (Curry, Beal, Faried); the draft (Griffin & Paul) and through Free Agency. Crikker only made 2 trades and both of them were in October. Having a big 3 of Curry, Paul, and Griffin must have been very entertaining to follow. The team's weakness was in rebounds and blocks and not addressing those needs kept him in the middle tier this year.
MVP - I can argue for any of the big 3 but I really liked what Curry did this season. 24ppg, 8apg, and shot 47/42 with 129 steals. You want to give it to Blake and his 24 and 9 with 53% shooting - I have no problem with that either.
LVP - Derrick Williams played 61 games for Arctic and averaged 8 and 4. Surely there must have been someone else somewhere that would have helped more.
Unsung Hero - McBob!! Josh McRoberts was a nice role player. He really should have been in Bangkok on the role player team. McBob only averaged 8-4-4 but his ATO was 4.000+ and he chipped in 58 steals and 46 blocks. Not too shabby.
Prized Keepers - I think Curry, Griffin, and Beal could all be good starting points for next season.
6th place - Norfolk in Chance
Easily my favourite expansion team of all time. What can you say about a new team that comes into the league, site unseen, and finishes in 6th place?? Already, he has bragging rights on the Kok and Seoul. He used 33 players and made 7 trades. Again, impressive. FG% and ATO were Norfolk's achilles heal this year but he's done very well in his first crack at the JBL. This was a well balanced team that was initially built around Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson. He turned Jefferson into Eric Gordon and Marcin Gortat. The other gem on this team was Isiaih Thomas ($4 bucks). His numbers were awesome. With 3 keeper spots I'm interested in seeing who Dave will bring back next season. He will also get to see how his lottery luck goes this year as he had to settle for the 13th rookie pick and went with Dennis Schroeder.
MVP - Trevor Ariza or Isaiah Thomas could fit here or in the Unsung hero spot. Ariza averaged 14 and 6 while being active for 74 games in Norfolk. He shot 46/41 and added 126 steals. His numbers kind of sum up how Norfolk did so well this season. Very few stars. Just a well balanced and well rounded team. Kind of the Seoul-model I think.
LVP - The Kevin Garnet experiment last 20 games in Norfolk and produced just 6 and 6.
Unsung hero - Check these numbers out.
Player A - 19ppg, 6ast, 4reb, 45% FG, 33% 3PT, 141 steals, 23 blocks, $48 bucks
Player B - 20ppg, 6ast, 3reb, 45% FG, 35% 3PT, 93 steals, 8 blocks, $4 bucks
The first guy is Monta Ellis and the 2nd guy is Isaiah Thomas.
Prized Keepers - Obviously I like IT3 a lot. I also like Gortat and Ariza as solid producers. There are a couple of others that could be keeper potential but the prize of the bunch is Mr. Thomas.
5th place - Golden Showers
51 players and 8 trades could only get me 5th place. Golden was attempting to 3-peat for a second time. I blame my poor draft and the injuries. I pooped the bed on draft night and never really recovered. There was a glimmer of hope in the middle of the season but major injuries to Jrue Holiday, Eric Bledsoe, Tobias Harris, and LaMarcus Aldridge ultimately sealed my fate. Steals and 3PT% were my weak categories. I made some good trades (getting Big Al for Big Pek) and made some doozies (Eric Gordon for AK47 and Noel?). Oh well. You gotta try right?
MVP - Aldridge. Despite missing 16 games I'm still going to give it to the big guy in PDX. He put up 23 and 11 but only shot 46%. Still, he was very good and has to be considered one of the better shooting 4's in the NBA.
LVP - Ersan Ilyasova. He's banned from Golden now after this season. I had such high hopes for him. I gave him 38 games to sort himself out and he failed miserably. 11 and 6 and infinite curse words from me.
Unsung hero - It's either Terrence Jones (13ppg, 7reb, 99 blocks) or Robin Lopez (11ppg, 8reb, 139 blks). Both over-achieved and were pleasant surprises in Golden this season.
Prized Keeper - I'm really interested to see what this Nerlens Noel kid can do. People forget that his one year in Kentucky when he averaged 10ppg, 9reb, 59% FG, 2stl, and 4.4 blks per game. He's had a year to rehab and build up his body. I'm hoping he's a shot blocking extraordinaire in Philly next season.
Next up...the top 4 teams in Part 3 of the Year in Review...
Happy Easter.
9th place - Idaho Udapimps
The Pimps were hanging around in the 5th to 8th range for the longest time. Unfortunately, they slipped to 9th in the last 7-10 days of the season and ultimately only end up with 2 keepers. The last 3 years have produced 9th, 7th, and 7th place finishes so this middle of the pack ending should not be surprising. This squad was built around super-keeper James Harden and draftees Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. The Pimps struggled in 3PT% and ATO will look to rebuild his squad through the draft next season. You gotta give the kid credit for trying as he used 49 players this season. Nice work.
MVP - James Harden. He finally goes back into the Auction. How much will his 25-4-6 go for at the draft? Fear the beard will be on many people's draft boards as he continues to improve.
LVP - Andre Iguodala. Look, I like Iggy. Great all around player. Just not the fantasy force he once was. He's better in real life than in the JBL. He was drafted for $32 bucks and put up 9-4-4??? Shocking.
Unsung Hero - Kris Humphries. Mr. Kardashian surprised me by putting up 10ppg, 7reb, and 1bpg in 34 games for the Pimps.
Prized Keepers - Rondo and Rose will likely be Idaho's 2 keepers. He'll be hoping that both of them return to 100% before next season.
8th place - French Lick Legends
Losing Al Horford to season ending surgery early in the season was a devastating blow. Adding insult to injury was trading Klay Thompson for the always high Larry SANDERS!. Whoops. That kinda set the tone for French's season of mediocrity. Steals and ATO were the biggest issues in Larry's home town this past season. The past 3 seasons now have produced this 8th place finish preceded by a 12th place finish and a 2nd place finish. Again, all stops were pulled out as French used 51 roster players this season and made 13 trades.
MVP - DeAndre Jordan. 82 games. 10ppg, 14reb, 203 blocks, 80 steals, 68% FG%. Enough said. The guy was a monster. Love his game for Fantasy. Who cares about awful FT% when he does all that.
LVP - Al Horford & Larry Sanders. 32 combined games. Yes, they would have helped a lot!
Unsung Hero - Randy Foye. I didn't expect him to average 15ppg in his 31 games for French. He also hit at 40% from downtown. Nice work for a guy considered by many to be irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Prized Keepers - Jordan and Lillard. 2 very solid studs for next season. Jordan will be $19 and Lillard will be going into Year 3 of his rookie deal for $22 bucks.
7th place - Arctic Circle Jerks
I had to go to the tie-breaker rules (head to head categories) to determine that Arctic will finish 7th. Norfolk won the head to head categories 4 to 3 to get 6th. The good news for Arctic is the extra ping pong ball for the Rookie Lottery. If that floats your boat at all. This years 7th place finish comes after his runner up finish from 2012/13 and his 8th place finish in 2011/12. This year's Circle Jerks were built through his keepers (Curry, Beal, Faried); the draft (Griffin & Paul) and through Free Agency. Crikker only made 2 trades and both of them were in October. Having a big 3 of Curry, Paul, and Griffin must have been very entertaining to follow. The team's weakness was in rebounds and blocks and not addressing those needs kept him in the middle tier this year.
MVP - I can argue for any of the big 3 but I really liked what Curry did this season. 24ppg, 8apg, and shot 47/42 with 129 steals. You want to give it to Blake and his 24 and 9 with 53% shooting - I have no problem with that either.
LVP - Derrick Williams played 61 games for Arctic and averaged 8 and 4. Surely there must have been someone else somewhere that would have helped more.
Unsung Hero - McBob!! Josh McRoberts was a nice role player. He really should have been in Bangkok on the role player team. McBob only averaged 8-4-4 but his ATO was 4.000+ and he chipped in 58 steals and 46 blocks. Not too shabby.
Prized Keepers - I think Curry, Griffin, and Beal could all be good starting points for next season.
6th place - Norfolk in Chance
Easily my favourite expansion team of all time. What can you say about a new team that comes into the league, site unseen, and finishes in 6th place?? Already, he has bragging rights on the Kok and Seoul. He used 33 players and made 7 trades. Again, impressive. FG% and ATO were Norfolk's achilles heal this year but he's done very well in his first crack at the JBL. This was a well balanced team that was initially built around Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson. He turned Jefferson into Eric Gordon and Marcin Gortat. The other gem on this team was Isiaih Thomas ($4 bucks). His numbers were awesome. With 3 keeper spots I'm interested in seeing who Dave will bring back next season. He will also get to see how his lottery luck goes this year as he had to settle for the 13th rookie pick and went with Dennis Schroeder.
MVP - Trevor Ariza or Isaiah Thomas could fit here or in the Unsung hero spot. Ariza averaged 14 and 6 while being active for 74 games in Norfolk. He shot 46/41 and added 126 steals. His numbers kind of sum up how Norfolk did so well this season. Very few stars. Just a well balanced and well rounded team. Kind of the Seoul-model I think.
LVP - The Kevin Garnet experiment last 20 games in Norfolk and produced just 6 and 6.
Unsung hero - Check these numbers out.
Player A - 19ppg, 6ast, 4reb, 45% FG, 33% 3PT, 141 steals, 23 blocks, $48 bucks
Player B - 20ppg, 6ast, 3reb, 45% FG, 35% 3PT, 93 steals, 8 blocks, $4 bucks
The first guy is Monta Ellis and the 2nd guy is Isaiah Thomas.
Prized Keepers - Obviously I like IT3 a lot. I also like Gortat and Ariza as solid producers. There are a couple of others that could be keeper potential but the prize of the bunch is Mr. Thomas.
5th place - Golden Showers
51 players and 8 trades could only get me 5th place. Golden was attempting to 3-peat for a second time. I blame my poor draft and the injuries. I pooped the bed on draft night and never really recovered. There was a glimmer of hope in the middle of the season but major injuries to Jrue Holiday, Eric Bledsoe, Tobias Harris, and LaMarcus Aldridge ultimately sealed my fate. Steals and 3PT% were my weak categories. I made some good trades (getting Big Al for Big Pek) and made some doozies (Eric Gordon for AK47 and Noel?). Oh well. You gotta try right?
MVP - Aldridge. Despite missing 16 games I'm still going to give it to the big guy in PDX. He put up 23 and 11 but only shot 46%. Still, he was very good and has to be considered one of the better shooting 4's in the NBA.
LVP - Ersan Ilyasova. He's banned from Golden now after this season. I had such high hopes for him. I gave him 38 games to sort himself out and he failed miserably. 11 and 6 and infinite curse words from me.
Unsung hero - It's either Terrence Jones (13ppg, 7reb, 99 blocks) or Robin Lopez (11ppg, 8reb, 139 blks). Both over-achieved and were pleasant surprises in Golden this season.
Prized Keeper - I'm really interested to see what this Nerlens Noel kid can do. People forget that his one year in Kentucky when he averaged 10ppg, 9reb, 59% FG, 2stl, and 4.4 blks per game. He's had a year to rehab and build up his body. I'm hoping he's a shot blocking extraordinaire in Philly next season.
Next up...the top 4 teams in Part 3 of the Year in Review...
Happy Easter.
2013/14 Year in Review - Part 1
What a season! This was the 23rd in the JBL. Our champs? The Chilliwack Offs. Benny picks up his 4th title and his first since 04/05. In fact, it's been 8 years since a Seoul or Golden team has won the title. In the historical realm, Benny is now just one title (4) behind the Seoul squad (5). You can bet that will be on his mind when we draft teams in for year 24 in October.
I'm going to start off this season review with some shocking news. Maybe something that you won't believe. This year, the JBL season was 25 weeks long. Do you know how many weeks of the year the Offs were in 1st place?? Do you? Try 24 weeks! The only time he wasn't in first place at the end of a period?? Week 1. He was 5th after week 1. Talk about anti-climatic when you look at it from that perspective. So, who was the only other team to have the lead at the end of a period this year?? French Lick.
So where does the Offs season rank in terms of dominance?? It has to be up there for sure. Benny's team led the JBL for the last 24 weeks of the season!! That is pretty rare air I would think. Of course, when you start the year with Durant, George, Drummond you are in pretty good hands. And give credit to Cord for drafting the solid core around those 3 guys. Even a $42 dollar mistake named JaVale McGee couldn't stop this runaway freight train filled with Peaches & Cream.
So let's look at our teams, in reverse order of standings, and try to breakdown what went right. And of course, what went wrong. Every JBL team has to have a MVP, LVP (least valuable player), an unsung here or surprise NBA'er, and of course a 'prized possession' player for next season. Away we go...
13th place - Montreal Poutang.
The last 3 years have gone 13th, 8th, and 10th. This season was almost doomed from the get-go when they showed up 30 minutes late for the Auction. By that time, they already owned Westbrook and Jennings and had to overpay for Marc Gasol. The Poutang just never got on track this year and I hope they will come back to try and right the ship. I know we're all busy and don't put the time in that we used to into the pool but I'm hoping a 2-owner team can somehow find the time to come to Auction in October 2014 ready to redeem themselves.
MVP - Joakim Noah. 12ppg, 11reb, 5apg, 99 steals, and 123 blocks. Absolute stud. Crazy to think he's actually better without Rose around.
LVP - Danny Granger. A 39 game experiment just didn't pan out as he averaged just 8ppg in Montreal.
Unsung Hero - PJ Tucker. A 38 game stint in Montreal where he averaged 9ppg, 7reb, and shot 38% from downtown. A surprisingly good role player for a surprisingly plucky Suns team.
Prized Keeper - no one. Last place gets you no one. They will have to build from scratch next season.
12th place - Manhattan Beach Ballers.
The last 3 years have gone 12th, 11th, and 11th. I'm not surprised by these finishes as Bobby failed to make a single transaction this season. He did not spend a single FA dollar. He drafted his team...and disappeared. Sure, he lost Brook Lopez to yet another foot injury and I think Bangkok is probably happy for that otherwise he could have been staring up at our new-age ghost team.
MVP - Kevin Love. 26ppg and 13reb. Monster scoring and boards without much else. How many more years will Minnesota live with mediocrity?
LVP - Brook Lopez. MBB only got 17 games from their $40 dollar center. That sucks.
Unsung/Surprise Player - Cody Zeller. I'm giving this award to Zeller because I'm shocked that he played in all 82 games in MBB's starting lineup while averaging 6ppg and 4reb. Shocking.
Prized Keeper - it's still got to be Love. He can be protected for $54 bucks.
11th place - Bangkok Fighters
The last 3 years are 11th, 9th, and 9th. Of course, I'm sure Rick would want me to mention the year before that he finished 2nd with 1109 points (more than Benny this year). But alas, his trophy cabinet is empty. There are no titles in Kokland. This year's Kok team should have been known as the all role player team. Chris Bosh is a nice player. 16 and 6 with 52% shooting and a steal and a block per game. That's nice. But he's not upper echelon anymore. Tristan Thompson? He's ok. Evan Turner, yeah, he's alright. Only John Wall had that star power for the Kok this season. This roster was filled with filler. Mike Scott (29g). Khris Middleton (40g). General Grievous (64g). All nice guys - but no star power. Now that being said, I love the trade the Kok made to bring in Michael Carter-Williams. Sure, he shoots (40/26) about as well as an old man with a saggy boner trying to hit the toilet bowl - but the kid can play and he stuffs the stat sheet. 17-6-6 with 129 steals and 43 blocks in 70 games. This kid could be very good in a couple of years and the Kok will have him for $15 bucks in the 2nd year of his rookie contract. Nice work.
MVP - John Wall. He was the man in Kokland (20ppg and 9apg) while he was around for 52 games.
LVP - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The former #2 pick was active for 26 games in Bangkok and put up amazing 8ppg and 5reb stats. Ugh.
Unsung hero - Khris Middleton. 40 games for the Kok and he averaged 12ppg while shooting 42% from downtown. The Bucks are a mess but this kid might stick in the NBA for a few years. A nice role player for the Kok.
Prized Keeper - MCW for just $15 bucks.
10th place - Seoul Brothers
After winning 3 titles in a row the Seoul squad finished 5th, another 5th, and now 10th this year. What's going on in Little Asia?? Has Woo lost his mojo? Has a full time job affected his analytical abilities? Not enough asian porn?? I'm not sure what happened this season. Now, I do know that having Andre Drummond for $13 dollars in year #3 of this rookie contract is going to do wonders for his building blocks. Woo did exactly what every JBL team should do when faced with the situation - trade Lebron for the best keeper around. Phil realized he wasn't going to win - so he cashed in his best trading chip to ensure future success. I know it must have pained him to essentially hand the title to the Wack - one of his fiercest rivals - but it was the right thing to do. Let's see what a keeper combo of Drummond and Sullinger or DeRozan can do next season.
MVP - Since Lebron was the obvious answer I'll go with Andre Drummond. In his 29 game stint in Seoul the big man averaged 14 and 13 with 32 steals, 34 blocks while shooting 64%. And just think, he's only 21 years old.
LVP - Brandon Jennings. Sure, he averaged 14 and 7 but he shot 37/33 with a high volume. Ugly stuff for the mess in Detroit-city.
Unsung hero - It has to be Jodie Meeks. He averaged 18ppg while shooting 41% from downtown. Nobody, and I mean nobody, predicted those numbers.
Prized Keeper - Yup, Mr. Drummond.
That's all for today...I'll look at 9th to 5th this weekend...stay tuned.
I'm going to start off this season review with some shocking news. Maybe something that you won't believe. This year, the JBL season was 25 weeks long. Do you know how many weeks of the year the Offs were in 1st place?? Do you? Try 24 weeks! The only time he wasn't in first place at the end of a period?? Week 1. He was 5th after week 1. Talk about anti-climatic when you look at it from that perspective. So, who was the only other team to have the lead at the end of a period this year?? French Lick.
So where does the Offs season rank in terms of dominance?? It has to be up there for sure. Benny's team led the JBL for the last 24 weeks of the season!! That is pretty rare air I would think. Of course, when you start the year with Durant, George, Drummond you are in pretty good hands. And give credit to Cord for drafting the solid core around those 3 guys. Even a $42 dollar mistake named JaVale McGee couldn't stop this runaway freight train filled with Peaches & Cream.
So let's look at our teams, in reverse order of standings, and try to breakdown what went right. And of course, what went wrong. Every JBL team has to have a MVP, LVP (least valuable player), an unsung here or surprise NBA'er, and of course a 'prized possession' player for next season. Away we go...
13th place - Montreal Poutang.
The last 3 years have gone 13th, 8th, and 10th. This season was almost doomed from the get-go when they showed up 30 minutes late for the Auction. By that time, they already owned Westbrook and Jennings and had to overpay for Marc Gasol. The Poutang just never got on track this year and I hope they will come back to try and right the ship. I know we're all busy and don't put the time in that we used to into the pool but I'm hoping a 2-owner team can somehow find the time to come to Auction in October 2014 ready to redeem themselves.
MVP - Joakim Noah. 12ppg, 11reb, 5apg, 99 steals, and 123 blocks. Absolute stud. Crazy to think he's actually better without Rose around.
LVP - Danny Granger. A 39 game experiment just didn't pan out as he averaged just 8ppg in Montreal.
Unsung Hero - PJ Tucker. A 38 game stint in Montreal where he averaged 9ppg, 7reb, and shot 38% from downtown. A surprisingly good role player for a surprisingly plucky Suns team.
Prized Keeper - no one. Last place gets you no one. They will have to build from scratch next season.
12th place - Manhattan Beach Ballers.
The last 3 years have gone 12th, 11th, and 11th. I'm not surprised by these finishes as Bobby failed to make a single transaction this season. He did not spend a single FA dollar. He drafted his team...and disappeared. Sure, he lost Brook Lopez to yet another foot injury and I think Bangkok is probably happy for that otherwise he could have been staring up at our new-age ghost team.
MVP - Kevin Love. 26ppg and 13reb. Monster scoring and boards without much else. How many more years will Minnesota live with mediocrity?
LVP - Brook Lopez. MBB only got 17 games from their $40 dollar center. That sucks.
Unsung/Surprise Player - Cody Zeller. I'm giving this award to Zeller because I'm shocked that he played in all 82 games in MBB's starting lineup while averaging 6ppg and 4reb. Shocking.
Prized Keeper - it's still got to be Love. He can be protected for $54 bucks.
11th place - Bangkok Fighters
The last 3 years are 11th, 9th, and 9th. Of course, I'm sure Rick would want me to mention the year before that he finished 2nd with 1109 points (more than Benny this year). But alas, his trophy cabinet is empty. There are no titles in Kokland. This year's Kok team should have been known as the all role player team. Chris Bosh is a nice player. 16 and 6 with 52% shooting and a steal and a block per game. That's nice. But he's not upper echelon anymore. Tristan Thompson? He's ok. Evan Turner, yeah, he's alright. Only John Wall had that star power for the Kok this season. This roster was filled with filler. Mike Scott (29g). Khris Middleton (40g). General Grievous (64g). All nice guys - but no star power. Now that being said, I love the trade the Kok made to bring in Michael Carter-Williams. Sure, he shoots (40/26) about as well as an old man with a saggy boner trying to hit the toilet bowl - but the kid can play and he stuffs the stat sheet. 17-6-6 with 129 steals and 43 blocks in 70 games. This kid could be very good in a couple of years and the Kok will have him for $15 bucks in the 2nd year of his rookie contract. Nice work.
MVP - John Wall. He was the man in Kokland (20ppg and 9apg) while he was around for 52 games.
LVP - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The former #2 pick was active for 26 games in Bangkok and put up amazing 8ppg and 5reb stats. Ugh.
Unsung hero - Khris Middleton. 40 games for the Kok and he averaged 12ppg while shooting 42% from downtown. The Bucks are a mess but this kid might stick in the NBA for a few years. A nice role player for the Kok.
Prized Keeper - MCW for just $15 bucks.
10th place - Seoul Brothers
After winning 3 titles in a row the Seoul squad finished 5th, another 5th, and now 10th this year. What's going on in Little Asia?? Has Woo lost his mojo? Has a full time job affected his analytical abilities? Not enough asian porn?? I'm not sure what happened this season. Now, I do know that having Andre Drummond for $13 dollars in year #3 of this rookie contract is going to do wonders for his building blocks. Woo did exactly what every JBL team should do when faced with the situation - trade Lebron for the best keeper around. Phil realized he wasn't going to win - so he cashed in his best trading chip to ensure future success. I know it must have pained him to essentially hand the title to the Wack - one of his fiercest rivals - but it was the right thing to do. Let's see what a keeper combo of Drummond and Sullinger or DeRozan can do next season.
MVP - Since Lebron was the obvious answer I'll go with Andre Drummond. In his 29 game stint in Seoul the big man averaged 14 and 13 with 32 steals, 34 blocks while shooting 64%. And just think, he's only 21 years old.
LVP - Brandon Jennings. Sure, he averaged 14 and 7 but he shot 37/33 with a high volume. Ugly stuff for the mess in Detroit-city.
Unsung hero - It has to be Jodie Meeks. He averaged 18ppg while shooting 41% from downtown. Nobody, and I mean nobody, predicted those numbers.
Prized Keeper - Yup, Mr. Drummond.
That's all for today...I'll look at 9th to 5th this weekend...stay tuned.
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