Bangkok & Idaho Trade

Well, Bangkok has made his 1st significant move. He has traded Brandon Roy over to Idaho for Rashard Lewis and Richard Jefferson.

This is the classic 'hedge' trade by Bangkok. With the news about Brandon Roy's knees being less than optimistic, Rick decided to get all he could for suddenly fragile star. Roy has not performed up to his usual standards this season and the meniscus in his knees won't be growing back anytime soon. So, Bangkok got all he could. In this case, he picked up two solid role players (and guys that are usually healthy). These 2 players really don't 'improve' Bangkok - but they could help stabilize his squad.

Why did Idaho do this deal? It's the classic risk/reward trade for him. He probably got the 'best player' in the 3 player trade, but he also took on the guy with bad knees. If Roy can stay healthy for the rest of the season then Idaho probably does OK in this trade. The concern I would have is that we know the likelihood of a player with really bad knees staying healthy for another 50+ games is highly unlikely.

So who "wins" this trade? We really won't know until later on this season...

How many games does Brandon Roy play in Idaho? Can he stay healthy?

What kind of impact do Rashard and RJ have in Bangkok?

I think it's a pretty even deal and probably a smart one for Bangkok in his quest to stay atop the JBL Standings. He took a highly injury prone player and turned him into 2 serviceable role players. If Rick was in 5th place and was trying to move up in the standings, I don't think I would like this deal as much for him. But since he's already out front and wants to stay there - I like this 'safe' move.

Idaho on the other hand is taking a huge risk in Roy as he could (emphasize could) miss significant time down the road. Idaho also recently brought in the ailing Tyreke Evans from Brussels. In that deal, Idaho parted with Iguodala and the unheralded Kyle Lowry. The Houston's PG inspiring play will likely end up causing Aaron Brooks to get moved out of Texas. So Idaho is definitely making some risky moves in hopes of moving up in the standings. Time will tell if these moves pay off or not.

How many teams bid on Mike Dunleavy last night? Seoul won his services with a $45 dollar bid. I bid $42 and I heard many other teams tried to acquire his services. Dunleavy isn't a star but he is serviceable. His tendex is 14.8 and we all know how Seoul loves his tendex ratings. Mike Jr's Seoul debut tonight was 12pts, 8rebs, 1stl, 2blks, but he did go 1/7 from downtown. Still, are there many FA's that you could sign right now that would get you 12 and 8?? I don't think so...

With Bangkok and Idaho hooking up on a 2 for 1 deal the FA pool got a little deeper tonight. Taj (Mahal) Gibson and Reggie Williams both ended up as castoffs and I expect both will be signed on Wednesday night. Taj has 29 blocks this season and Reggie is getting lots of minutes with the recent absense of Stephen Curry in Golden State. Reggie put up a sparkling 19pts, 5 rebs, 6 asts tonight with good %'s. His downside is limited steals and blocks and he has struggled when Curry is healthy. So, how much do you bid on their services? Do you blow your wad or do you wait for the next big injury? Do you wait for the NBA teams to start making some trades. Remember, December 15th is the day that NBA teams can trade those guys they signed in the summer. I can think of a few of my players that I wouldn't mind seeing change teams!

What's going on in Belgrade? All is quiet. Has anyone received a trade offer? Has anyone offered him anything? Belgrade started off quite strong but they have faded down to 12th and are really struggling right now. I know he is anticipating the return of Andrew Bynum but I don't know if AB can put up the much needed HUGE numbers. Right now, Belgrade is Carmelo, Monta, and Odom and not much else is going right.

And what is Brussels' next move? This was supposed to be his year. Brussels went into the JBL draft as a pre-season favorite and has had a very disappointing season. He made the big deal and shipped off Kevin Durant but that didn't seem to help. What will he do next?

And for those of you wondering what's going on in Golden. Well, I am trying to be patient, but that's proving to be more and more difficult each week. I really regret my trade of Varejao to French for Batum. That was a panic deal for sure. My team sucked and Batum was on fire. He was a $1 buck and I was thinking next year waaaay too soon. Now, I'm searching for rebounds across the JBL. I think it's well known amongst the top teams (well, Bangkok, Arctic, and Seoul anyways) that when the keeper deadline approaches that one of those 3 teams will be hot on the trail of Derrick Rose. And Golden has been very forward with these 3 teams that Rose will be moved by the deadline. The price is a top flight keeper. I'm sure other contenders like Chilliwack, Idaho, and French could also be in the hunt for his services.

Right now, I'm trying to improve Golden by moving secondary pieces (which can be very difficult when those pieces aren't very good). There is no point in me trading guys like Boozer, Ibaka, or even Eric Gordon right now as they are prime potential keepers for next season. Eric Gordon? A keeper? Really? Well, yes, because he's 6th in the NBA in scoring right now and he's only $23 bucks. Look at all the other top scorers in the NBA and see what their JBL salaries are. Scoring is really hard to come by and EG is having a great season. To have a top flight scorer for just $28 bucks next season is almost a no-brainer.

I can envision a lot of Golden's role players being moved at the deadline as top tier teams try to shore up their contending teams. Arctic needs blocks and a guy like Tyrus Thomas could possibly help out (depending on whether or not Tyrus is in Larry Brown's doghouse at the time). And I know that Bangkok gets a big boner when LaMarcus Aldridge's name comes up. I can see Bangkok making a play for him too.

I am anxiously anticipating the return of last year's standout PG Aaron Brooks. Recently acquired from Chilliwack for Mo Williams I am hoping that a return to Golden will spark his play and he'll be able to add more scoring and his 3PT% can help out my struggling team. Mo Williams is a nice player but I didn't like him being the #1 option in Cleveland. I think he fits better as a #2 or #3 guy. Plus, I am hating all those guys in Cleveland (except for Varejao!). There are rumors that Brooks could be dealt to Sacramento for Carl Landry. I think I'd be OK with this deal as Brooks might be a better fit there. I guess we'll see if he gets moved. Based on how the Rockets have played since he's been out (better) I can certainly see him getting shipped out of Texas.

I am also still waiting for Roddy Buckets to return. This is the kid who dropped 40pts in a game last season by constantly blowing past Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry one night. The kid is fast. Mark Cuban loves him. He's apparently going to start at SG. Jason Kidd says he'll move to the bench to let this uber-talented kid play. I've read the hype. Now I want to see the kid play. Come on already. Let's see what he can do.

And all that being said, I'm still searching for a some rebounds. Trying to package a deal together involving second tier players. However, that's tough to do when those players aren't playing very well. Other teams typically aren't interested in Tyrus Thomas when he's hurt.

Well, that's it for me...take it easy boys.

JE

Another Idea Shot Down...

Well, so much for reducing roster sizes...the JBL masses are voting and already the vote is 5-3 in favour of keeping roster sizes just the way they are...

Am I disappointed? Actually, not at all. I keep throwing ideas out there to see if any change is needed...and the masses are saying no. So, I am good with it. If the JBL doesn't want change it must mean the we are doing it right already.

Most of the proposals I can argue either way and I can live with either outcome too. On the argument of longer protection (3 to 5 years was the proposal) - I thought it would be great to keep Derrick Rose another 2 years. On the flip side, I'm glad Bangkok doesn't get Russell Westbrook for 2 more years! So I am happy either way.

As mentioned in my previous posts, the JBL is becoming a 3 tiered league. The top 5 (over 800 points), the middle group of 3 teams (600-800) and the bottom 5 teams (all sub-500 right now). The question is which teams can change tiers?

Can French push into the upper echelon? Can Juan de Fuca hit middle ground?

Is it time to start thinking about keepers for next season? Is it too early? Noooo, of course not. So, who has some good potential keepers?

Let's start with the top 2 teams because Bangkok and Arctic do have some potential keepers they could leverage in trades to solidify their JBL title hopes.

Bangkok - Stephen Curry is one of the top keepers available. He's $15 bucks and has 1 more year on his contract. I imagine Bangkok will demand a hefty price to obtain his services. Although, if Bangkok tries to risk winning the JBL title and keep Curry - and then fails to win the JBL title - that move would be criticized for years to come. If there is any doubt about Bangkok winning the title (when the trade deadline arrives in February), then Bangkok has to trade Curry. We'll see what happens.

What about guys like Tony Parker ($15), Elton Brand ($14), Chris Kaman ($14), or even Rudy Gay ($24) - are they worth protecting?? Can Bangkok move them for better pieces? I'm not sure any of them are outrageous bargains but they could be...

Arctic - he has the big man Kevin Love for $17 bucks. If Curry is the #1 keeper then Love is 1A. Love is 20ppg and 15reb. Plus, he's making his 3's. Sure, he doesn't shoot 50% or get many steals or blocks. But he gets 15 rebounds per game. Think about that for a second. Compare Love to Al Horford (another Arctic product). Horford is a top notch rebound averaging close to 10 boards a game. On the season, Horford has 218 rebounds so far. Well, Love has 125 more!!!! Love is an absolute beast on the glass. Heck, even Dwight Howard - Superman, D12, a monster - has 100 fewer rebounds than Kevin Love!

Arctic also boasts a $12 option in Michael Beasley. Sure, Beasley is just a 4 category player right now...but $17 bucks to protect a guy who is averaging 21 and 6 with good %'s is a bargain folks. Will Arctic use one of these T-Wolves to net him some more talent? Only time will tell...

Seoul - Woo doesn't have a lot of keeper talent to move. Luis Scola ($18) is probably a bargain and worthy of protecting at that price. After Scola though, Seoul doesn't have many bargains. Woo is shooting for a 3-peat and it will be interesting to see if he tries to acquire some cheap talent for possible protection while also trying to gain ground on the 2 front runners.

Idaho - Idaho is in contention (for a change) and will have be in an unfamiliar position this coming February. In years gone by it's always been Idaho who has been selling the farm for cheap talent. Remember last season he made outrageous moves to grab Brook Lopez and Brandon Jennings only to finish last and have to throw both of them back into water? The kid has guts and isn't afraid to make a trade (or a bad trade offer). So, what will Idaho do with guys like Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings? Both are potential keepers and both could fetch some star power for his stretch run. Richard Jefferson and Amir Johnson are both $3 bucks but I don't fancy either of them as being sought-after keepers. Another bargaining chip could be Kenyon Martin for $1 buck - but I don't think he has much left in the tank to be a difference maker at $6 bucks next season.

Chilliwack - Benny has a team built to win right now. At first glance at this roster there aren't many guys that jump out at me and scream top notch keeper. Joakim Noah for $27 bucks would definitely interest me though. I think he is a value pick at that price. Surprisingly, Gilbert Arenas at $11 bucks is probably worth a look. His %'s are horrible but his other numbers warrant a look. Is Paul Millsap worthy of a $35 dollar contract? Hard to say...maybe. Is Jameer Nelson worthy of a $15 dollar contract? Again, based on what's gone on in the last couple of Auctions, that might be pushing his limits.

I'll quickly scan the other teams for keepers that pop out at me...I apologize if I miss some of your personal favorites...

French Lick - Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields, Mike Miller, and Anderson Varejao

Yuma - Mike Conley. I would say Nash but he always goes for $34 so why pay $39?

Manhattan Beach - Ginobili, Darko, Casspi, Josh Howard (maybe), and even Pau Gasol and Amare could be potential keepers.

Juan de Fuca - Gallinari is a no brainer. What about Hibbert? Cousins?

Golden - Boozer, Gordon, Ibaka, Batum, Brooks, Beaubois (when will he be healthy?)

Brussels - Ty Lawson (if Billups leaves), Zach, Wallace, Splitter, McGee...there are some options for sure

Belgrade - Andrew Bynum, Odom, and even Monta could be value adds.

Maui - Evan Turner, Sonny Weems, Andrei Kirilenko, Dalembert, and Morrow could all be potential value picks (depending on where a couple of them play in 2011/12)

So, there you have it...a quick look at some of the potential keepers that jumped off the page at me tonight. I'm sure I missed some and I'm sure you think I'm crazy for listing some of the players that I did. Oh well. That's the great debate around keepers and what their value is. That's why we do an Auction draft. Isn't the JBL awesome? Well, of course it is, that's why all new ideas about changing the JBL are always shot down. Silly question Johnny, silly question....

New Wrinkle?

Look at me...an extended Chronicles absence and now two posts close together. Way to go Johnny.

So, there were some ideas thrown around earlier this season about potential changes to the JBL. All of the new ideas were voted down as the masses in the JBL like it just the way it is...

Well, I'm about to suggest one more idea...and ultimately put it to a vote.

I'll explain what it is and argue both sides...

The proposal is simple. Currently, JBL rosters can be a maximum of 16 players. 12 active, 3 bench, and 1 injured reserve player. My proposal is that the JBL roster maximum in 2011/12 and onwards would be 15. For anyone struggling with the math, I'm suggesting the roster max is reduced by 1 spot.

So...why should we do consider this rule change???

• NBA rosters have a 15 player maximum
• Now that the JBL is 13 teams deep, reducing the roster size by 1 player per team would potentially add 13 players into the Free Agent pool (which I think we can all agree is pretty shallow)
• Currently, a lot of JBL teams 'stash' away injured players on the their IR without much risk. Reducing the roster size by one player would mean JBL owners would have to use a little more strategy if they wanted to keep those injured players. Would Golden really have wasted a roster spot on Roddy Beaubois this long?? Would Idaho and Arctic really have signed Kenyon Martin and Michael Redd??
• Essentially this rule change would eliminate the need for the injured reserve spot - which would ultimately firm up our $300 dollar salary cap. Currently, we can exceed the $300 cap as the injured player's salary doesn't count. If we eliminate the IR spot - we have a hard cap.

What are some arguments against this proposed change?

• Why do we need to change?
• NBA teams have an injured reserve spot - so should the JBL
• If you like the current challenge of finding quality FA's then this rule change really wouldn't be necessary.

Hey, I realize this isn't an earth shattering proposal here...but I thought I would throw something out there. I'll post in the Live Scoreboard and give everyone a chance to read the proposal and then set up a poll this weekend.

The Chronicles are Silent

My apologies to all 4 of my avid readers. I have been very busy with work, family, home insurance claims, and Ryan's sports to have the time to get on here and talk about my JBL feelings. I know the Showers are a disgrace this season and my streak of 5 years finishing either 1st or 2nd is clearly in jeopardy. OK, let me clarify, it's not going to happen. The Golden squad is going to have their worst season ever. My worst finish was an 8th place debacle back in the late 90's. And even 8th might be a stretch for the Golden boys.

But enough about me and my struggles. The JBL is still as competitive as ever. Bangkok has been in 1st place at the end of every Period so far this season. Heck, he's been in 1st place for every single night (except for one where Arctic squeezed him out). Bangkok is very strong - and yes, he knows it. Give Rick some credit, he drafted an excellent team from his couch position in Vegas. And of course, we have to give him credit for his awesome keepers that he was able to bring into the season as well. Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook would have probably gone for around $50 bucks each had they been in the Auction. It's always nice to have that kind of keeper talent available. Bangkok - you will be tough to catch.

Arctic is looking for the double-double. Crikker won the Baseball pool this season and now he is in contention in the JBL. This Arctic team is HUGE and has more rebounds already than my Showers squad might get all year. Kevin Love, Al Horford, Marcus Camby, and Blake Griffin make up maybe one of the greatest rebounding teams the JBL has ever seen. Through in Rajon Rondo, the emerging Michael Beasley, and breakout stud Raymond Felton and this team is a contender.

Those two teams have separated themselves a bit from the pack...with Seoul, Idaho, and Chilliwack making up the immediate chase pack. The middle tier teams (700+ points) are Yuma, French Lick, and our expansion man Bobby Hucul in Manhattan Beach. If the Ballers keep this up they could be one of the more successful JBL expansion teams ever.

The remaining 5 teams are all sub-500 points and have a lot of work to do...

We are almost to week 8 - the 1/3 pole of the JBL season. Christmas is approaching and December & January are big months for all those teams trying to make up ground. Because we know what happens in February!! The keeper deadline will be upon us at the NBA All-Star weekend and I can guarantee this will be a busy trading deadline. Why? Because the shitty teams right now, if they remain there, will have plenty of top notch talent available to try and get those top notch keepers for next season. Golden has Derrick Rose; Maui has Danny Granger; Brussels has Brook Lopez; Belgrade has Carmelo; and Juan de Fuca has Kevin Durant!! You're going tell me that those teams in contention for the JBL title (yes, the JBL title that has only been won by 6 owners in the 20 year history of the JBL) wouldn't want to get their hands on these top notch studs for the stretch run??? Oh yes they will.

Anyways, time for me to go...again, my apologies to all 4 of you for not updating the Chronicles sooner. Best of luck this season...and if you want me to blog about something because you want my 2 cents on an issue - drop me an email and I'll do my best to post something.

Cheers,

JE

Trader Sunday

Wow, what a busy day...
JBL Sunday's typically don't look like they did today. So, what happened? Well, lets go through the day...

• For starters, my pickup of Austin Daye turned out to be a shitty move as Detroit thinks he can't play against bigger forwards. Well, they may have a point when you're 6'10 and 200 pounds. Anyways, Daye was released....again.
• Then Brussels and Juan de Fuca hooked up on a massive 8 player deal. Brussels gets Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, Troy Murphy, and Jonny Flynn while Juan gets Durant, Bargnani, Big Baby, and Toney Douglas. Who wins this deal??? Hard to say really at this point. Durant is the best player so that has to count for something. The key to the deal for Brussels is the return to health and prominence of Troy Murphy. At the moment, Troy is wasting away in New Jersey. Rumors are that he is healthy but Coach Avery is just fine starting Humphries and using Favors as his backup. If Murphy gets moved or gets back into action I might give the edge to Brussels in this deal. However, for now, Brussels has lost a lot of scoring and doesn't actually have a guy who is averaging 20ppg right now. Juan de Fuca did this deal to get Kevin Durant. He's actually a buy low candidate right now. He hasn't been his usual self so far this season and is bound to have some monster games moving forward. Bargnani is now the face of the Raptors and is having a very good year. Davis and Douglas are good depth guys. Have a look at the Juan roster as he is now with 4 healthy bench guys and will have to drop one...
• Then Maui and French Lick got into the trade action. Maui acquired Granger and Anthony Morrow for Wilson Chandler and Jeff Green. Maui was lacking a true stud scorer and is hoping that Granger can be that guy. Morrow is NJ's 3rd leading scorer right now and can flat out shoot lights out from downtown. Maui was in need of a shake up and really just needs to get healthy. French is getting Wilson Chandler and his 16, 5, and 31 blks on the year. His %'s can be scary but he plays in the fast paced NY offense. Maui gave up a lot of blocks in this deal but does have Sammy D waiting in the wings. French also got the injured Jeff Green. He's missed about a week with some sort of ankle injury. When healthy, Greener is the #3 man now in Oklahoma and is a jack of all trades. This could be a good deal for both teams. As Maui told me via text - this trade can't make his team any worse.
• Maui and Golden then got into the action with a minor deal involving Sonny Weems and Channing Frye. Maui wanted to move one of his Centers and get some more scoring. Weems has been on fire for the Raptors the past 10 days so he fit the bill. Golden wanted to get some more size and someone who shoot (and hit) some 3's. Channing Frye hopefully fits the mold. Frye's brief stint in Golden last season was a horrible venture for both parties so I'm hoping that history doesn't repeat itself.
• I'm also expecting some activity on the waiver wire tonight. Why? Because Udonis Haslem is out in Miami for about 8-10 weeks. Someone has to play those 30 minutes. Will it be Ilgauskas? James Jones? Eddie House? So, I'm expecting some Heat players to be signed tonight. There could also be another couple of FA signings tonight....just a hunch.
• Going back to my previous post - Golden will feature at least 5 new starters in week 5 and that number could be 6 depending on Free Agency tonight. I'm working hard at improving but it's going to take some time.

More Change in Golden

Another week down in the 20th season of the JBL and Golden is still mired in the basement. But hey, I'm just barely over 400 pts now. That's encouraging. And there were some positive signs as the week winds down. The Golden squad is right up there in scoring this week and has closed the gap between themselves and the top scoring teams in the league. The bad news is that the ATO, STL, and 3PT% is still atrocious.

So, with that news, week 5 will see Golden drastically change their 12 man starting lineup for the upcoming week. 5 new starters will come in. Guys who are out?? Thornton (trade), Warrick (trade), Nazr (bench), Sessions (released), and Batum (only 2 man games).

One of those new starters will be Cleveland's doghouse man - JJ Hickson. I acquired him from Seoul today for Al Thornton and Hakim Warrick. Why did I make this trade? Well, for starters, Thornton and Warrick are frustrating fantasy players. One night they're great, the next night they suck. And believe me, I've seen Hickson's numbers lately, it's not that he's much more consistent at all. I made this trade because Hickson, I think, still has the greatest upside. With that comes the unknown of course, but I thought I should chance it. Mo Williams is coming back from injury and maybe that will help JJ's numbers. At some point, you know Cleveland will have to clear the way for JJ and move Jamison to a contender. So, I'm hoping JJ can find his form again in the coming weeks.

Speaking of Mo - he will get back into the starting lineup. Hopefully he can stay healthy and have a few more games like he did Saturday night (21pts, 6ast, 3stl). He will hopefully improve the dreaded ATO of this squad.

Also expected to return next week is Darren Collison. He missed the entire week with an ankle injury and it appears he's good to go for Monday against the Heat. I need his ATO and some steals. I really need him to start showing the game he had last season when he took over for the injured Chris Paul. He hasn't been bad this season, but I was hoping for more.

Another newcomer to the starting lineup will be Golden favorite Luke Ridnour. I brought him in with the hope that he can get some ATO, steals, and 3PT% this week. I released Sessions as it didn't make sense to have Mo and his backup. Plus, Sessions hasn't shot the ball well and doesn't get any steals. Why not shake it up?? Ridnour will likely be in town until Jonny Flynn returns and I hope Luke remembers those great years he had in Golden when he was still a Sonic.

And the 5th new starter this week has already done some time in Golden this season - Austin Daye. I've brought him back based on his upside. Again, hopefully Detroit realizes they need to play their young guys and Daye can get some minutes. His numbers are similar to Warrick and Thornton's but again I'm hoping he has more upside down the road. He plays 4 games this week so I'm hoping for something from the kid.

Guys, I know you probably aren't all that jacked to read about Golden's roster shuffle - but it's all I've got. I'm not blessed with a star studded team that requires little maintenance from week to week. I've never been this low in the JBL standings ever - except for years when there were only 6 teams (pretty sure I could have been 6th) - so I am working at improving my squad and thought I would at least document my thought process through it all.

I don't think I need to blow Bangkok's praises on here - he does that himself on the live scoreboard every night. So, if you have a topic for me - let me know and I'll do my best to chat about it.

Today I also posted a poll to see what the JBL thinks about the Draft location for 2011. Whistler is getting some votes. We discussed this in Vegas while we were there. Timbo has a place up there so accommodation would be cheap for sure. We would need some sort of Internet hub connection that we could all connect too but I'm sure we have some computer wizards to figure all that out. Whistler would be great for the locals. Drive up Saturday morning, get ready for the draft, do the draft, head out for a meal in the Village, crash, and head home Sunday. Nice little adventure for sure.

Did anyone see the Clippers vs. Knicks game tonight. I watched part of the 2nd half. Blake Griffin was amazing. Granted, Amare has never been known for his defense, but Blake was awesome. How much longer before they sack Del Negro?? He never should have got the job. Horrible.

Seeing the last couple of Suns games made me realize they will never trade Steve Nash. They simply aren't very good when he isn't playing.

Raptors and Hornets made a 5 player deal today. Jack/Andersen/Banks to NO for Bayless/Peja. I guess Jarrett Jack is the "best" player in the deal. However, his Fantasy value likely drops now being the 1st guard off the bench in NO as opposed to being the starter in TO. Jose Calderon's value goes through the roof! It sounds like TO will play Peja so his arrival cuts into Weems, Kleiza, and DeRozan's minutes. Kind of a nothing deal in terms of fantasy in my opinion.

Nice to see the Canucks showed up for the big Saturday night showdown with the Blackhawks. Ugly.

Well, that's it for me tonight. Tomorrow Jayne and Ryan are heading to Seattle to see the Harry Potter exhibit, stay overnight, and watch the Harry Potter movie on Monday. I'm hanging out all day Sunday hopefully watching football and not shoveling the driveway!

A Man Emerging

I think I am witnessing something special...

No, I'm not talking about Bangkok's special start to the JBL's season. No, I'm not talking about Idaho being a contender. No, I'm not talking about Seoul's quest to a become back-to-back-to-back champion. I'm talking about Serge Ibaka becoming a Fantasy stud.

Now, sure, I may be jumping the gun a bit here. But let me tell you, when you're in 13th place and your team sucks - you have to get excited about something.

Tonight, albeit in the absence of Jeff Green, Mr. Ibaka posted 22pts, 11rebs, and 4 blocks. For the season, prior to tonight, he was averaging 11ppg, 8reb, and over 2 blocks per game. Let's remember that he is just 21 years old and in his 2nd season in the NBA.

I actually blogged about his coming out party last April when the Thunder scared the Lakers in the 1st round of the Playoffs. One game, Ibaka rejected 7 shots and looked very impressive against the Laker big men.

Can Ibaka keep it up all season? Who knows. But at just $4 dollars he could be a prize keeper for next season. And if Golden continues to stay near the bottom of the pool, Ibaka actually becomes more valuable than the other players who actually put up bigger numbers. Is Ibaka better than LaMarcus Aldridge? No, but he's better value. Is he better than Luol Deng? No, but he's better value.

So, as I have mentioned, pretty much the entire Golden squad could be had via trade except for those 4 players who appear to be undervalued looking at next season.

Roddy Beaubois $1

Nicolas Batum $1

Serge Ibaka $4

Carlos Boozer $30

If the 2011 draft was to be held tomorrow, all of these players (with the exception of Beaubois and Boozer because they hasn't played) would likely go for more than their current salary. So, at this point, there is absolutely no reason for me to trade them. None.

Do I want to improve in the standings? Absolutely, but I need to find a way to do that while keeping the 4 players mentioned above. Those 4 guys have to be a part of the rebuilding project for this season. Because of the brilliant staggered keeper system in place in the JBL I need to climb as high as possible in the standings in order to maximize the number of players I can protect. I admit that things don't look that rosy in Golden these days but I have to do all I can to climb the standings if only for the benefit of keepers for next season.

Again, genius keeper system to keep me motivated to improve - regardless of how bleak the current situation seems. There are currently 7 teams below 600 points so those teams have to be my target for now. A 7th place finish would get me 3 keepers - which isn't too shabby at all. Baby steps first. Let's see what this Golden team can do when everyone is healthy and then decide what drastic moves need to be made.

I've become a big Ibaka fan over 2010 - starting with the playoffs and into the first 10 games of the 2010/11 season. And could you imagine if the Thunder were still in Seattle? Oh man, that would be sooooo cool to watch this young team with Kevin Durant. Curse you Clay Bennett, curse you!