JBL 33 Auction results

JBL Auction #33 is in the books. And what a night it was. Chez Golden hosted 6 JBL owners while Chex Kok had another 3 in his palace.  Bidding was fast and furious with a lot of big dollars being spent early. I think many of us were also pleased and impressed with how quickly we completed this draft. Just under 3 hours this time around.  We've already had discussions about a destination draft for JBL 35 in 2025. See how many guys we can get together in the same room again. That would be fun. The banter is what makes the auction entertaining!

OK, as per tradition, I'm giving my thoughts on the Auction. As always, I have a few. I will say, based on my early projections, this is shaping up to be the most competitive season in a long time. Lots of teams with potential I think depending on a number of factors along the way. Who stays healthy? Who gets rested? Who gets traded?  The season begins on Tuesday and I know we can't wait to see NBA action again! 

Going into the auction I thought there were 5 teams that were better set up for success. That was Maui, French, Bangkok, Seoul and Brussels. After the auction, those are still my top 5 contenders in some order. They are all very strong squads heading into JBL 33. 

Bangkok had the chance to be the clear cut favourites coming out of the Auction but going big on Sabonis and SGA (both Golden targets by the way) might have left him a little shy in the depth department. Nevertheless, the top 6 players on this squad are insanely good and this is Bangkok's best chance to win that elusive JBL title. Can Middleton stay healthy and regain his form? If he can, that's a big win for the Kok. Can Kuminga continue his preseason magic? Or do the Warriors trade him for another star at some point and then he completely blows up? Some depth questions around Eubanks, Wiseman, and KJ Martin - can they perform if called upon? Fun fact? This is the youngest team in the JBL with an average age of just 24.0 years old. Make no bones about it, this is the strongest Kok roster we've likely ever seen. Could this finally be the year of the KOK?

Brussels is definitely the biggest squad in the JBL. Rebounds, FG% and blocks galore here with this bunch. A very strong team with 3 Blazers (Scoot, Ayton, Timelord) always gets me excited. This squad projects to get more blocks than steals. Amazing. So many picks here that I really like. Porzingis, OG, Dejounte, and MPJ. Can John Collins bounce back in Utah? Does Grimes get enough shots in NY? Where does Bojan end up after DET trades him? I like this team a lot. 

French is French. Sitting beside him watching him casually bidding up guys while watching the Phillies game on his phone, sipping a cold beer while randomly checking in on what his 2 boys were up to makes this whole Auction seems just too easy for the big man. It's disgusting how easy he makes it look. French is well aware of the 9 year run of 1st (5x) and 2nd (4x) finishes and this squad definitely keeps that dream alive. This year's version is loaded with smart picks and bargains and we can officially call them the French 76ers as he employs 4 of them to start the season (Maxey, Harris, Melton, Reed). Would you bet against this team finishing anywhere but 1st or 2nd? I wouldn't.

I love this Maui squad. The big 3 (Embiid, Bane, Mobley) get reinforcements in Lillard, CP3 (who both seem to end up in Maui a lot) as well as the steady veterans of Aaron Gordon and Buddy Hield and others gives this team a real chance to compete for another title. Love the Zach Collins pick (don't care about the price at that stage of the draft). Also getting a kid like Coby White is good since I think the Bulls will likely have to blow things up this year.  I'm going to guess that Maui puts the least amount of prep time into the JBL but came away with an outstanding roster to start the season. 

Seoul drafted on his own this year due to family commitments and things may have worked out well for him. It's very much an old school Seoul roster with lots of depth and value guys all over the place. Good ole Tendex was his guide and it has put him in a place to contend for another title. It's been 12 years since Seoul was king of the JBL. Could this be the squad that climbs the mountain again? Seoul could use a shot blocker or two but otherwise this is a very balanced squad. If you had told me that Seoul would draft Jalen Green I would have laughed at you. Nevertheless, here we are. If Zion plays 60+ games - watch out for Seoul. 

Those are my big 5. All are very talented squads that had strong keepers for the most part and then built out their rosters very well. I think any of those 5 teams could win just based on their current rosters. We know they will all change over the course of the season (OK, maybe Maui's won't change much) but those are my Power 5 contenders to start the JBL's 33rd season.

There are a number of squads that I am calling 'what if' teams that could contend if things go the right way over the course of the year. In no particular order....

Let's start with Chilliwack. The oldest team in the JBL with an average age of 29.2 years old. If we had to play all 15 guys - then the Wack would be a contender as he has the deepest roster in the JBL. A team without any likely All-Stars but one with loads of depth and big swings that could pay dividends. What if Ben Simmons is back? What if Gafford stays out of foul trouble? This team does everything pretty well and if things go right they could easily be a title contender.

My Golden squad could be good. Maybe. Second youngest team in the JBL at 24.2 years old. But it needs a lot of things to go right. Can Cade Cunningham stay healthy? And a bigger question - is he actually good? Is Devin Vassell ready for a breakout season? Can guys like Duren, J-Dub, Giddey and Eason get better? Can Jalen Johnson get minutes with the Hawks? This squad has 7 players that don't even start for their NBA team so minutes will be a concern. A lot of questions to be answered in Golden this season. 

Moving onto Cali - is this their best roster to start a JBL season? I think it just might be. Lots to like about this roster. Jimmy Buckets, LeBron, Mitchell, Allen, PG13 and oh, don't forget Wenbanyama. And how much of a leap does Jabari Smith make? I also like the Herb, KCP and Bey picks. Nice role guys. Overall, a job well done by Cali.

The new kid on the block in Dayton is back for year 2. Got his main targets in AD and Reaves and filled out his roster quite well overall. Outside of some weird obsession over Rui Hachimura ($22??) I thought the kid handled himself very well. He's got Chet to watch. LaMelo and PJ from his Hornets. I'm thankful that Dayton kept Nurkic in the household after he spent 4 years in Golden. I like the role players on this squad as well (Brown, Huerter, J-Rich, Caruso). And in true Godfather form, he took a flyer on a kid like Ziaire Williams. Dayton is learning the JBL and all is right in the world.  

Idaho took the biggest swing on the night when he drafted James Harden. The wildcard could pay big dividends for Idaho depending on how quickly his situation gets resolved. Idaho also made up with KAT after a disastrous season last year. How good can 2nd year guys Paolo and Keegan become? How long does Jaxson Hayes last on this roster? Can Collin Sexton stay healthy and be good again? The Idaho love affair with Jon Isaac continues. This type of persistence makes me wonder about Tuna's dating life back in the day. No matter how many times that girl would break up with him - would he would keep going back for more. Let's try it one more time? Oh come on. One more time. Please!  Maybe this is the year...  

The Doctor went big and paid up for the Joker. Fresh off a title in French, Norfolk must be hoping he brings a winning culture to the squad. And this is year 10 for the Doctor in the JBL. Well done. Congrats. We're happy to have you!! A lot of big names on this roster for sure. Joker, Tatum, Holiday, and Grant. Love Ausar Thompson too. Loveable Looney also a favourite of mine. I also see a lot of flexibility and options with this roster as I think there are 3-4 guys who could be improved upon. As I'm typing this I see the news that Steven Adams has been lost for the season. That's a real kick in the nuts for this squad. Sucks. 

Was this the first year the Arctic auto draft didn't wreak havoc with the Auction?  Can we just applaud Arctic for drafting the trio of Brooks, Barrett and Dort? The great Canadian trio!!  Big kahunas taking on those 3. Well done. Of course, having the big 3 of Giannis, Steph and Kyrie always helps a roster.  The middle of this roster is nice too - Markkanen, Okongwu, Smart and Ivey are all nice pieces. A pretty good start for Arctic in JBL 33.  

Bellingham can score that's for sure. Big 3 of KD, Luka and Kawhi will be very strong. If they can combing for 180+ games that would be a great sign for this squad. How many points can Jordan Poole average? Will breakout candidates like Sharpe and Mann hit? Does Schroder find magic in TO? Does Tre Jones get the starting PG spot back?  Everything around the Brandon Miller situation is intriguing to me. Can Naz Reid and Christian Wood get enough minutes to help? Time for the Ham 'n' Eggers to get to work. 

I've commented on teams ability to score a couple times. Well no one scores more than this Juan de Fuca roster. I think this team might have 9 guys who could average 20ppg this season. The Toronto boys ended up with 3 Raptors which is always a good thing. Who is going to lead this team in blocks though? I like the Obi Toppin pick and Ja Morant is waiting in the wings as well.  If they stay healthy, Juan could break some JBL scoring records when it comes to points.

OK gents, that's it for me. Another JBL Auction in the books. It was great having 6 of us in the same room again. Loads of fun. NBA season gets underway on Tuesday.  Free agents will be available on Thursday night (around 11pm PST) so make sure to get your bids in early. Good luck to all.