JBL 32 - Year in Review

Another JBL season completed. Another French Lick title. 5 in total now. 5 in the last 9 years. The other 4 years French finished 2nd. I know I say it all the time, but this is getting to a bit ridiculous isn't it? 9 years in a row of either 1st or 2nd place? Dynasty.

My year in review won't be as comprehensive as in years past but it is a tradition that must be upheld.

I'm starting with one of our expansion teams, the Happy Valley Vandalizers. I will say nothing about this team name. That horse has left the barn already. I shall just refer to them as Happy. Simply, this franchise struggled across the board. If we only did points, they were 4th in that category. They had scorers in Tatum Randle, Kuzma, Clarkson, Keldon Johnson and on and on. Everywhere else, shocking. Last (15th) in 4 categories and 14th in another. And it wasn't like they were close in steals or blocks. They were miles behind. Hopefully they will learn from their 1st year and come back stronger in year 2. And while their place in the standings wasn't pretty - trading away their rookie pick was an absolute disaster. While it's still a lottery ticket, it's the Wenbanyama sweepstakes! Brussels has the right to pick swap with Happy so we will have to see how the balls bounce this summer.  So no keepers for Happy and they don't have either of their rookie picks so no 'plus one' for them either. Happy will be starting from scratch.

Arctic pulled off a final day miracle and climbed out of the basement and into 14th. There are a couple of positives to take away from this season for Arctic. They will have 1 keeper spot and their prized rookie (Jaden Ivey) available to them for next season. Will it be Kyrie for $27? Will it be Jalen Green for $20 in year 3 of his rookie deal? Regardless of who they bring back, they should try to employ less 'jackers' next season. Having Dillon Brooks (32%), RJ Barrett (31%),  Dennis Smith (19%), and even Jalen Green (33%) all chucking shots from anywhere and everywhere is a recipe for disaster for anyone's percentages. The 3-headed Center monster of Gobert, Allen, and Adebayo to start the year didn't quite work as planned. I blame Gobert. He's hurt Minny and now Arctic. Mange merde Rudy.

In 13th is our other expansion squad, Dayton. They were doing alright halfway through the season and were fighting for top 8 for a long time. Then injuries struck (lost Cade after 12 games and Vassell went down too). And ultimately, his obsession with LaMelo made him cash in a lot of chips to acquire the kid. LaMelo played in only 14 games before going down with injury for the season. Dayton played almost 70 fewer man games than the top teams. Can't win with that many injuries. All that said, Dayton was playing the long game from the start. He drafted Chet Holmgren knowing he would miss the season. He cashed in all hope of a top 8 finish to acquire Ball. So it will be LaMelo and Chet and 13 lottery balls to start his 2nd campaign. Not a bad core to begin Season #2.

Idaho finished 12th. Not top 8 as he told us. That's odd. An Idaho prediction didn't come to fruition? Oh well. This was another team struck hard by injuries throughout the season. He sold the farm to get KAT but only got 14 games from him. Brandon Ingram only played 45 games in Idaho. Idaho can look forward though to JBL 33 as he does have 2 keepers plus Keegan Murray coming back. We all remember the deal that netted him Paolo Banchero but handed Jaren Jackson Jr to French Lick. 4 years of Paolo over 2 years of JJJ?? A word to the wise, if French wants to make a trade, you should problem question it right away since, well, you know, he wins every frikkin' year!!  Who gets the other keeper spot is still up for grabs but we all hope for a more competitive Idaho squad as that keeps the JBL entertained all year long. When Idaho is a contender, we get 500+ trade offers while this year I barely cracked 100 from him. Come on Idaho, get it together!

Norfolk finished 11th this year. A much better showing after his last place finish the season before. Norfolk was one of the top scoring teams for a long part of the season but faded away in the 2nd half of the year. No team played fewer man games than Norfolk. Again, loads of scoring with his Fantasy MVP Donovan Mitchell leading the way. Add in DeRozan, Jerami Grant, Jimmy Butler and the always injured Kevin Durant and you can see why they were doing so well at times. However, this squad was last in rebounds and 13th in blocks. When James Wiseman and Zach Collins are 2 of your best rebounders, trouble is brewing. The good news for Norfolk is he can build on this success with his rookie Benedict Mathurin coming back plus 2 more keepers. Norfolk also didn't make a single trade. Not one. I think you have to take some chances in the trade market to try and build the squad. The other thing I will note is that Norfolk was 10th going into the final day and dropped to 11th. Just keeping this in case the lottery ball Gods fall a certain way. 

Cali moved into 10th on the final day of the season. These Cali boys were BIG and finished 2nd in rebounding. And considering Cali couldn't score - maybe they should have contacted Norfolk about a trade. Oh well, too late now. Cali featured Vucevic, Porzingis, Valanciunas and others to lead the rebound line. They got a great year from likely 6th man of the year Quickley. Loved the KCP and Powell draft picks as they provided good depth. Another team that didn't make a single trade this year. Jabari Smith, after being placed on the JBL trade block very early in the season, had a decent year and now that Silas has been fired in Houston, maybe he'll have a chance to improve next year. It will be Jabari and 2 keepers for Cali next season. Can they build off this season and look to move up the ladder in 23/24?

Congrats to the highest scoring team in the JBL, Bellingham & Eggers. That only got them 9th though and it shows just how tough it is to build a balanced team across all 7 categories. While they were 1st in scoring, their next best category was 6th in steals and then 8th in ATO. Nothing else was in the top 10. Only made the 1 trade this year - acquiring Bam Adebayo and Hamidou Diallo for Anthony Davis and Kenyon Martin. I think we can say that Bangkok won that deal quite handily, especially after Diallo went down with injury. This team will be able to bring back 2 keepers (they don't have their rookie pick, Johnny Davis, for obvious reasons) and will have to find someone to pair with Kawhi and his $12 dollar final year salary. Is it Dinwiddie for $15? Or maybe someone else. 

The Seoul Brothers ended up in 8th place. A terribly disappointing season for this franchise. Top 10 in every category except for rebounding. Quick, who played the most man games for Seoul this season? Did Tobias Harris come to mind? No? Me neither. But 74 games in Seoul led the way. Trader Phil made 8 deals this season. The whole Zion experiment failed miserably. Only 18 games for Seoul this season. I think Ja Morant was in and out Seoul at least a couple times this year. Bradley Beal was acquired, traded away, acquired again and then ultimately rage dropped. We know Nic Claxton will be one of his 3 keepers but who will the other two be? Ja Morant? Brunzy? Zion? So with all the craziness, injuries, trades, adds and drops, the squad finished 8th and we're calling it a horrible season in Seoul. My point? It's OK to make trades and try things in the JBL.

The JBL 31 champs ended up in 7th place this season. Early season injury struggles had the Ribs in the 10-13 range for a long time. Then came the Dayton lifeline and the reality that Maui had too many good keepers and too few spots to keep them. We all know how difficult it is to trade with Maui but when Myles Turner, Marcus Smart and Kevin Huerter were on the table it was hard to pass up. Maui gained about 200 points within weeks and a top 8 spot was secured long ago. Ultimately, injuries struck this team down and they were one of the lowest man games in the league. Only Bruce Brown and Evan Mobley eclipsed 70 games for Maui. Maui has a strong core available for next season. They have their rookie Jeremy Sochan available and then will have to decide who gets the other 3 spots. Embiid, Bane, Mobley, Aaron Gordon and even Huerter could be options for the Ribs. 

Our 6th place team was the Juan de Fuca No Stocks. 13th in steals and 14th in blocks. That's all that held this team back from a potential top 4 finish. Juan made 2 trades this year - both with Idaho. Always nice to see. Who led Juan in blocks this season? If you said Santi Aldama with 43 I'd give you a medal. Sabonis (39) and Royce O'Neale (38) were 2nd and 3rd. That kinda says it all. Lots of talent on this squad led by the Kings duo of Sabonis and Fox. Juan will have a tough decision to narrow down his keepers to just 3 players. Jamal Murray, Bobby Portis, Franz Wagner, Anfernee Simons, and even Sabonis and Fox could be options to come back. A very impressive year from Juan that's for sure. 

What a disastrous final day in Brussels. Dropping to 5th is heartbreaking considering they had been in the top 4 for most of the season. Brussels showed that scoring isn't important at all as they finished dead last in that category. Top 6 in every other category though including 1st in blocks and FG%. 6 trades this year for Brussels but one could go down in history. Imagine if the pick swap with Happy Valley nets them Victor Wenbanyama? Franchise defining moment. This squad is also primed for another strong campaign next year as Walker Kessler and 3 others will be back. Expect Sengun and Markkanen to be back. The other spot is likely for Fultz, Murphy or Okongwu.  Depending on how the lottery balls shake out this summer this could be the team to beat in 23/24.

Golden getting 4th place was a bit surprising considering how the final day of games was going. Although, Golden had been a member of the top 4 for quite some time leading up to the final week. It all appeared to be lost and a 5th place finish awaited until Kris Dunn and Kelly Olynyk's final game performances that catapulted Golden into 4th. For starters, KO was not going to play. But he did and he shot 9/13. Kris Dunn was 11/18 in the game as well. Ultimately, Golden's FG% was 48.8422 and Maui's was 48.8363. Had Golden missed 2 more shots - Brussels would have finished 4th. 

Golden was strong across most categories but struggled in blocks and ATO to end the season. The role players, as with all great JBL teams, played a significant part of the success this past season. Olynyk was fantastic. Dunn, in his 18 games in Golden averaged 14-5-6 with 1+ steals and shot 55/50.  It was a deep squad that overachieved considering the trades to acquire Duren and Jalen Williams many months ago.  Golden has rookie starlet Tari Eason coming back (and he'll have a new coach in Houston) as well as 4 other spots to fill. Golden sold the farm for Jalen Duren so he will be back (and he'll have a new coach in Detroit); Thunder faves Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams (thanks Seoul) will also be back as well as Darius Garland for one more go around. 

Bangkok started the final day of the season in 5th place but made major moves to climb all the way to 3rd place. The final day saw the Kok climb 20 points in scoring; 13 points in steals (18 steals on Sunday) and 13 points in blocks (14 blocks final day). Young stars Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are the cornerstones of the franchise. Kok isn't afraid to swing for the fences either acquiring Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry during the season. AD's run in Bangkok was very impressive but it was Kenyon Martin Jr that won that trade as KJ averaged 15 and 6 and shot 60% in his 30 games in Kokville. They also got key contributions from other role players (or maybe burgeoning stars) like Jaden McDaniels and super-backup Drew Eubanks as well as Jonny Kuminga, Josh Green, and Herb Jones. To be successful in the JBL you need your core star players but you also need to discover those outstanding role players and Kok's been doing that very well the past couple of seasons. Bangkok will be fully loaded for next season with rookie pick Mark Williams back along with 4 others. I'd expect Tyrese, Ant, and Scottie Barnes for sure. Who gets the 4th spot is still up for debate. Regardless of who it is, the Kok is primed for another title run next season already. 

Chilliwack ended up in 2nd place and threw everything they had at making the title run. In the end, it came up short, but credit to them for pushing all their chips in and really going for it. This team was loaded with fantasy talent and might have 3 All NBA players (Luka, SGA, Pascal) when it's all said and done. Injuries to Capela and Andrew Wiggins (only 36 games) really hurt this squad in the long run.  I don't really have much else to analyze with this bunch. Super talented team that racked up 1090 points. Many JBL years, that total wins. And it might not be close. But now we all have to deal with the French-factor and that means that 1090 just simply isn't good enough. Outside of maybe DPOY Brook Lopez, I'm not sure who else is a surefire lock to be back as a Wack keeper. Maybe Zubac? Maybe Wiggins? Maybe Conley?

And finally we have our 5-time champs French Lick. 1st place again. 1202 points. We knew they were going to win the title since about January 15th when they took over the lead (by 100+ points) and never looked back. What impresses me about this year's French squad is that he went about it slightly differently than years gone by. French drafting Jokic for massive dollars was very surprising. He rarely throws all his eggs into one basket. For many of us, that plan fails, but not for French. French was top 4 in 6 categories and 12th in scoring. Another team that didn't care about scoring and perfected all the rest. So French drafts Joker and then surrounds him with stud role players and blossoming stars. French paid $30 for the Suns 4th option Mikal Bridges. Then he gets traded to Brooklyn and averaged 27ppg. He leveraged his star rookie Paolo to get a BIGGER star in Jaren Jackson Jr. (21-7-3 in his 29 French games). But it's not those guys that won French the title - it's the Josh Hart's, Kyle Anderson's, Al Horford, Derrick White, De'Anthony Melton, Jarred Vanderbilt's of the world. Those role players are better than our role players. And you can't tell me he's simply having some good luck in knowing which guys to grab each and every year for the last 9 years. A couple years is lucky - 9 years running is knowledge, skill and research. Is there a silver lining for the rest of the JBL heading into next season? Maybe. French doesn't have many surefire value keepers. Yes, thanks to Idaho, Jaren Jackson will be back in French for WAY under value but after that, I'm not sure who has that extreme savings. Regardless, French is the favourite for next year. I don't care who he keeps, protects, what rookie pick he gets or if he auto-pilots the auction. French is the favourite. Period.

OK, that's it for another year in the JBL. As always, you guys make it fun. We chat hoops all the time. Ryan and I get to watch games together. The JBL is a pretty cool place be live in....

JBL 32 - After the Auction...

 

The aftermath....

 

Friday, October 14^th will go down in JBL history. Why? Because my kid (how can he really be 19 years old now?) participated in his very first JBL auction. Sitting at the table with him and Maui it brought back great memories of when the JBL all began. I started the JBL at 17. Ryan is 19. It’s been a LONG time. I never thought that one day my son would be in the JBL…but here we are.

 

It was fun watching Ryan sweat over his bids and seeing the uncertainty of an auction draft. At one point, while bidding for LeBron, he said his heart was beating out of his chest!  All that said, I think he handled himself pretty well for his first ever fantasy draft of any kind.

 

So, as always, people want to know the Godfather’s thoughts on how the Auction played out…

 

Initially, the day after the draft, based on my projections…I thought the JBL was easily split into 3 distinct tiers.  Maui was alone in the top tier. The second tier featured 7-8 teams that all had similar projections and based on their current rosters, I would say had a really good chance at competing for the JBL title. And the 3^rd tier was filled with teams with work to do and wishing for some luck.

We all know that the majority of teams will face injuries, make trades and sign Free Agents, so these early season projections are always difficult.

 

I’ll also drop my favourite pick from draft night for each team.  

 

Maui was a cut above everyone else. It wasn’t close (and still isn’t really). His keeper core of Embiid, LaMelo, Bane, and Mobley was outstanding. He added a very good rookie at pick 13 in Jeremy Sochan. Since he made that pick it looks like Sochan is going to start at PF for the Spurs. The rich may have gotten richer since he would be his PLUS ONE keeper. Anyways, Maui got a potential steal in Damian Lillard at $40. Take out his injury-riddled last season and Dame averaged 29ppg and 30ppg the prior 2 years. He’s had a year off to rest and recover. I think the potential is there for a big scoring season. Maui also added the aging Chris Paul. Yes, he’s 37 years old. Last 3 seasons he’s played 65, 70 and 70 games. Maybe diet does mean something. I should take note.

 

Maui is the oldest JBL team (tied with Cali) at an average age of 29 years old. It’s filled with veterans like Lowry, Hayward, Seth Curry, Aaron Gordon, and Finney-Smith. Solid role guys that need to stay healthy. There aren’t many projected weaknesses on this squad so we’ll have to see if they can stay healthy. Last year, I projected Maui 4^th in the pre-season ranks and he ended up winning…so there.

Favourite pick – Isaiah Jackson for $22. I know it’s pricey but if Indy flips Myles and I-Jax is turned loose – he could be a blocks monster.

 

French Lick came in at #2 in my pre-season ranks. Why? Just because they’ve been 1^st or 2^nd for 8 years straight.  I will say I was a bit surprised to see French land the big ticket item in Jokic. French typically goes the balanced route but here we are again looking at a very strong French squad. No matter what method he uses – he puts out strong teams. Outside of Joker, I’m not sure this team has any All Stars. He might have the ROY in Paolo. But I do know they are just deep and do everything well.  Always fun to watch French at work. French was ranked 2^nd last pre-season – he finished 2^nd in the standings – and I’m putting them right back into 2^nd again.

Favourite pick – Caleb Martin for $3. The starting PF on a very good Miami team. Yes please.

 

I had Chilliwack in the 3 hole. The guy who had $40 bucks left for 2 players at auction. Benny was controlling the late part of the draft. Another deep and talented team here. Is this the year that Luka wins MVP?  Will Okongwu overtake Capela in ATL? Will Monte Morris be the PG Washington has been looking for? Where does Mike Conley play most of his games? Will Jalen Duren become the monster Center that Detroit wants? Lots of interesting story lines to watch for this very good Wack squad.

I ranked Wack 7^th last pre-season and they finished 4^th.

Favourite pick – Will Barton for $4 – just because he came up for auction 4^th overall after featuring in the rookie draft pick swap that saw Bangkok acquire his services only to be dropped a week later. 

 

Brussels came in at #4.  Again, some interesting things to watch for….can Ben Simmons find his old form? Will Lauri Markannen be the #1 in Utah – and what does that look like – can he average 20ppg? Does Brunson become a New York legend (I’m guessing yes)? Is Walker Kessler the next Mark Eaton?  I know Brussels loves his 2^nd round rookie Jovic – can he be the latest great find in Miami? Brussels is one of the youngest rosters in the JBL but they appear to be very good on paper. I ranked Brussels 1^st last preseason and they finished 6^th so they clearly he won’t mind this lower ranking.

Favourite pick – Ayo Dosunmu for $4. Starting PG’s are always nice to grab for cheap.

 

I’m putting the Golden squad at #5. I’ve finished 5^th two years straight so why not start off here. Many of you know I wasn’t happy post-draft. And it’s not because the team isn’t projected to do OK – part of me just feels like I let my kid (and myself) down. He’s watched me talk JBL for many years and then I drafted this team? I was giving him pointers on how to handle the pressure and how to budget. And then I waffle on picks? I overspend on others? I auto-drafted Ricky Rubio because I wasn’t ready. Not my best work. That said, analytically, this team could be OK. This is year 4 of my Nurkic being in Golden and my love/hate relationship with him. I have bad feelings. The final year of SGA is ahead. All 5 in Golden. Not a bad $1 rookie all those years ago. I have to admit I have fallen for Tari Eason much like I did for SGA all those years ago. I like the looks of that youngster I tell ya. Anyways, we’ll see how this squad gets on. I ranked Golden 3^rd last preseason and finished 5^th.

Favourite pick – one of my only pre-draft targets I actually secured was Jaylen Nowell for $1. A per-minute monster last season in Minny I’m hoping he can expand his role on the highest scoring team in the NBA.

 

I have the Kok in 6^th.  Last year, as he well noted, I ranked the Kok as 10^th and they wound up in 3^rd place (although they spent most of the year in 2^nd). How could I be so wrong?? Well, I think Mr. Haliburton’s arrival in Kokville had a BIG factor in the move up the standings. I’ll spend some more time on this Kok squad because the readership is quite low and frankly he might be one of the only people who really cares what is written in this space. That’s why I love Bangkok. LOL.

This Kok squad was loaded with good keepers to start the auction. Keeping Scary Terry for $11 might have been a stronger play (since he went for $30) than keeping Herbalife Jones – but we’ll see.

Drafting a stud like Jayson Tatum was a strong and bold move and based on his opening night performance certainly appears to be worth every penny. Strong secondary pieces in Wood and OG will provide some support to that strong keeper core of Dejounte, Edwards, and Haliburton.  There are a lot of question marks to watch with this squad. Does Suggs learn how to shoot (he was 36/21% last year)? Does Patrick Williams make a leap? How does Darius Bazley get on in OKC (another poor shooter at 42/29%)? Can Mark Williams beat out Mason Plumlee for minutes?? I do like Williams a lot as a prospect. Does Jaden McDaniels get to touch the ball in Minny?  I like this squad, I do, and it has a chance to compete for sure.

Favourite pick – Andre Drummond for $3 bucks. If he gets even close to 20 minutes he will be a nice source of rebounds and stocks. When other backups like Hartenstein and Isaiah Jackson were going in the $20’s – Drummond is a bargain.

 

I have Cali in 7^th to start the year. The theme team is over it appears but it does still feature Vucevic, Valanciunas and Porzingis. Add those 3 to James Harden and Paul George – who I both thought should have gone for more – and this team has potential. Love the rookie Jabari Smith.  Sure wish Timelord could stay healthy. This opening night lineup in Cali is quality. Last year I ranked Cali 9^th in the preseason ranks and they finished 9^th…hmmmm. Not bad.

Favourite pick – Porzingis for $36. This could be the ultimate risk/reward pick. This is the big swing for the fences. Love it.  

 

I have Seoul in 8^th to start the season. I think Seoul has maybe 6 guys that could average 20ppg maybe. Highest scoring JBL team by a mile but some other holes to fill. Last year I ranked Seoul 5^th to start the year and they finished 8^th. Seoul cashed in his chips to get Scottie and Morant for this season so let’s see how that plays out. Highest paid guy is $37 bucks – talk about balance. Who is going to block shots on this team? Brook and ??? Lots of 3pt gunners but will the percentage be OK?  One thing we know about Seoul is that he still has 2-3 trades with Bangkok coming so this team will certainly change in the coming months.

Favourite pick – Jaylen Brown for $37 – just so French couldn’t get one of his cornerstones back.

 

I have ‘The Kid” in Dayton ranked at 9th in his first ever preseason rank. Can we just appreciate again the nuance and style of this team name again as well. From the original franchise Dayton Yer Sistas where Cord would make crude comments about Trev’s sister and Mom – to the now modern age Dayton yer Daughters play on words. For all you JBL owners with daughters (and that’s a lot of you)…this is brilliant (and creepy) if I do say so myself. I enjoyed watching Ryan prepare for this draft. He had his targets and budgets and he did pretty well. We knew LeBron, his GOAT, would be going to Dayton. We knew any Hornets players would likely be targets. Rozier, PJ, Plumlee and even prisoner Miles all ended up in Dayton. On paper, the team is pretty good and I actually think it has a greater chance of finishing higher than this rank at the end of the season. All of this and he will still have Chet for year 2. I like what the kid did here. The Godfather is proud.

Favourite pick(s) – all the Hornets. As many of you know, Ryan and I watched probably 65+ Hornets games last year. I hope we can do that again. It’s my chance to hang out with him and watch the games.  He loves watching them so he drafted as many as he could. We all remember the Golden Sonics theme teams of the 90’s. Like father, like son. 

 

I have Arctic in 10^th to start the year. Last year I had them 13^th in the preseason and they ended up 10^th. I actually really liked the big 3 they grabbed. Well, I say that begrudgingly because I wanted at least one of those 3 centers. Arctic starts the year with a big 5 (ok, maybe 6) and will need to work the waiver wire or make a deal to balance out the roster.  Maybe one day I should go this route because you know I love to find my FA gems.

My favourite pick was the $1 dollar auto draft of Grant Williams. With no Timelord and no Gallinari this little bowling ball could be quite valuable.

 

I have Juan de Fuca in 11^th to start the year. Last time around it was a 6^th place preseason rank but they finished 11^th. Losing Michael Porter Jr (who is back again) for the season was a big factor in that last season. I like KAT, I like Sabonis, I like Booker. I like this core. Again, it’s the other pieces I will be watching. Can MPJ stay healthy? Can Hunter live up to that 4/95 contract? Is Kendrick Nunn good? Can Simons still be the monster WITH Lillard playing? Again, lots of potential here for this team to move up the standings.

Favourite pick – Kendrick Nunn for $3. I’ve had him before. He can be sneaky good and with the Westbrook situation who knows…

 

I have Idaho in 12^th to start the year. I actually have him higher, slightly, but ranking him here gets him fired up and creates more buzz for the JBL masses. A fired up Idaho is a FUN Idaho. There are lots of good players in this squad. Zion, Trae, Ayton, Fox, Murray x2, Ingram and on and on….But there are also a lot of question marks. We’ve already seen Montrezl and Thybulle play (or not play) limited minutes. What will John Wall do?  Big wildcard in Westbrook. Jonathan Isaac? He could be great or he might not play at all.  Can JJJ stay healthy?  Anyways, I don’t need to go on because this Idaho roster won’t look anything like this by Xmas. Idaho was ranked 11^th to start last season and he got to 8^th.  We look forward to the umpteem thousand trade offers in the coming 7 months.

Favourite pick – Jaren Jackson Jr for $10 bucks was good value. Will he be back sooner or later? He’s a sure fire keeper at that price if he can stay healthy (see what I’m doing here, increasing the hype on JJJ so we all get ridiculous offers this weekend)

 

I have Bellingham in 13^th to start the season. Last year they ranked 12^th to start the year and finished 13^th. This is the ‘show me’ year for Bellingham.  Season 4 about to launch with previous campaigns of 13^th, 9^th, and 13^th…time to make the move!

Starting with a $7 dollar Kawhi always helps.  Adding in Giannis and AD create a BIG 3 but who else will provide a big fantasy season? Will the new contract boys, Poole and Herro, earn their dough? Is Tre Jones the man in SA? Can Dinwiddie retain his Dallas form?  Can Oubre do what Miles did last season? Will Cole Anthony emerge over Fultz?  Loads of questions – like every other team.

Favourite pick – Josh Primo for $1. Good Canadian kid and he’s getting the ‘Kawhi’ treatment?? Hmmm. https://airalamo.com/posts/san-antonio-spurs-josh-primo-kawhi-leonard-treatment

 

Unfortunately, Norfolk starts the this season ranked where he finished the last one – 14^th. His pre-season rank last year was also 14^th so I’m sure he’s hoping I’m wrong this time around. This new Norfolk squad has the makings of a much better team anyways with Durant, Jimmy Buckets, DeRozan, Mitchell, and Jerami Grant on board – just to name a few. The Doctor spent big dollars on Collin Sexton so we’ll see how that one plays out. Caruso and Alvarado should grab plenty of steals. Mathurin could be a really fun rookie to watch. This squad might have five guys who could average 20+ PPG so I’m sure Norfolk is much more excited about this roster’s potential.

Favourite pick – Alex Caruso for $2. Another former Shower and he has a chance to play a lot with Lonzo out. A fun player to watch.

 

Bringing up the rear in their first ever JBL season and pre-season rank – is the Happy Valley Vandalizers.  Our opening night leaders may have peaked but who knows. This squad will need a lot of things to go right to be competitive in year 1. But stranger things have happened in the JBL. I like the Keldon Johnson pick. I can only imagine it won’t be long before Bangkok tries to acquire him. James Wiseman for $26 was interesting. Let’s see how they manage their Free Agents. Let’s see what a Happy trade offer looks like. Lots of unknowns with this team and owners still.

Favourite pick – Getting Evan Fournier for $1 was good business.

OK, that's it for now...thanks to Maui for inspiring this one and keeping an annual tradition alive. 

 

 

JBL ROOKIE DRAFT RESULTS 2022

Results

JBL Rookie Draft Order

ROUND 1
1. Dayton $15 - Chet Holmgren
2. French Lick $12 - Paolo Banchero
3. Cali $10 - Jabari Smith
4. Idaho $9 - Keegan Murray
5. Arctic $8 - Jaden Ivey
6. Bellingham $7 - Johnny Davis
7. Seoul $6 - Jalen Williams
8. Norfolk $5 - Bennedict Mathurin
9. Juan de Fuca $4 - Shaeden Sharpe
10. Chilliwack $3 - Jalen Duren
11. Brussels $2 - Walker Kessler
12. Bangkok $1 - Mark Williams
13. Maui $1 - Jeremy Sochan
14. Golden $1 - Tari Eason
15. Happy Valley $1 - Jake LaRavia

ROUND 2
16. Happy Valley $1 - Ousmane Dieng
17. Golden $1 - Dyson Daniels
18. Maui $1 - Christian Koloko
19. Chilliwack $1 -Ocahi Agbaji
20. Brussels $1 - Nikola Jovic
21. Bangkok $1 - PASS
22. Juan de Fuca $1 - Patrick Baldwin Jr
23. Norfolk $1 - Kenny Lofton Jr
24. Seoul $1 - PASS
25. Bellingham $1 - PASS
26. Arctic $1 - PASS
27. Idaho $1 - AJ Griffin
28. Cali $1 - PASS
29, French Lick $1 - Dalen Terry

30. Dayton $1 - PASS 

Some comments:

- Chet is the Unicorn swing for the fences. Sure, Paolo or Jabari could have gone #1 but I like the new kid on the block has the patience to build a strong core. Plus, Chet could be a 'free' keeper with the new PLUS ONE rule now in effect.

- Paolo, Jabari, Keegan, Jaden - the top 5 picks in this rookie draft were clear as day. Only suspense was in what order. Liked all of these. 

- I like Jalen Williams in OKC a lot. I think he can start.

- I like the 3 big Centers. Duren, Kessler and Williams.  Playing time will be the key for all of them. Duren could start in Detroit really quickly. Kessler is the only true big body in Utah and blocked almost 5 shots a game in college. Utah has their modern day Mark Eaton. And Mark Williams only has to beat out Mason Plumlee (and Nick Richards apparently) as coach Clifford hates rookies. All good long term options.

- Love the Sochan pick. On a bad Spurs team he's a tenacious defender and reminds many of Rodman. 

- I will say I was happy (and surprised) that Tari Eason was available for me at 14. He had a fantastic summer league and has great potential in Houston with an agin Eric Gordon likely on the way out and role player Jae'Sean Tate in front of him. Plus, little known fact, his hands are 9.25 inches...almost the same as Kawhi's. Hmmm.

- I was hoping Jake LaRavia fell to me at 17. Good pick from Happy Valley.

- Shocked to see Dyson Daniels, the #8 pick in the NBA draft, still there at 17. I'll take a chance. Yes, the Pelicans are stacked but this kid gives off Giddey vibes. 

- Honestly I was shocked to see Johnny Davis go at 6. Maybe Bellingham knows something. 

- Little surprised to see Sharpe go at 7 as well. He is a boom or bust project with PDX and all signs point to him being really good. But will he play this year? Will the Blazers use him as trade bait to get another star? 

- Finally, I love the Kenny Lofton Jr pick. Dude is a wrecking ball. A baby Zach Randolph. I hope he sticks in Memphis and gets some run. He's so much fun to watch. 

So how many of the 24 rookies remain on their original drafted teams? I'm going to say 10-12.  And I will say that adding the 2nd round of rookies was a lot of fun. It also adds another part of a trade chip for JBL deals. Will be fun to see it play out. 

The PLUS ONE concept...

Here’s the theory of the PLUS ONE principle just voted in. 

At the end of every JBL season, teams get an allotment of keepers for the next season based on where they finish in the JBL standings. We all know 1^st to 4^th gets up to 4 keepers; 5^th -8^th gets 3 keepers; 9^th-12^th gets 2 keepers; and now 13^th and 14^th will get 1 keeper and last place (15^th) gets ZERO keepers. 

Now, with the PLUS ONE concept, each team gets one EXTRA keeper spot over and above that allotment, as long as the PLUS ONE player has the R1*, R2*, R3*, R4* status. Even last place could now get at least 1 keeper with the new rule.  

Note: An R4* player can be protected in the PLUS ONE spot...and then the following year becomes a R5 - FINAL player (who would not be eligible for protection as that's the last year of keeper eligibility. Also, no more * noted)

Starting in 2022, rookies drafted in the JBL rookie draft will have the R#* status and 5 year keeper eligibility.  R for rookie. The # represents the year of the contact. The * indicates eligibility for the PLUS ONE spot. 

And since this is a new rule, only 2022 rookies, drafted in the 1^st or 2^nd round of the JBL rookie draft, will be eligible in this 1^st year. Of course, in the seasons coming, 2023, 2024, etc, all players picked in those JBL Rookie draft will also become eligible. 

Example: In the 2022 JBL rookie draft, some team will select Jaden Ivey. He will be given R1* status in the Contract field. At the end of the 22/23 JBL season, let’s say that the team that drafted Ivey finished 7^th. They get 3 keepers. So, they can keep 3 players plus they can keep Ivey in the PLUS ONE spot (because he’s a 2022 rookie and was drafted in the Rookie Draft). So ultimately, that 7^th place team now has 4 players heading into the following season.

 

Some Q&A

Q. Can I sign a 2022 rookie from the Free Agent pool during the season and then protect him in the PLUS ONE spot?

A. No. A rookie signed off the waiver wire would not get R* status. Sure, they can be protected, but not in the Plus One spot.

 

Q. Arctic has Jalen Green, who will be R2 this year. At the end of the season, can Arctic protect him in his PLUS ONE spot?

A. No. Jalen Green is a 2021 drafted rookie. Only 2022 (and beyond) drafted rookies will be eligible for the PLUS ONE spot.  A player with the R#* is eligible for the PLUS ONE spot. 

 

Q. In the example above, Jaden Ivey (R1*) can be protected in the Plus One spot for the 2023/24 season. Can I protect him again in the Plus One spot in future years?

A. Yes, any player, drafted as a rookie in the 2022 rookie draft (and beyond), as long as they have the R#* status, can be protected in the Plus One spot.

 

Q. How will I know the difference and whether a player can be protected in the Plus One keeper spot?

A. Any player with a R#* status (the asterix is the key) will be eligible for the keeper spot.

 

Q. If a rookie is drafted in the JBL rookie draft, then released, then signed as a Free Agent – will he be able to be protected in the Plus One spot?

A. No. Once released and signed, that player just has the regular 1, 2, FINAL, contract status. If eligible, they could still be protected under the normal team’s allotment of keepers.

Q. What if I have 2 rookies, both R1* status, do I get 2 extra keeper spots?

A. No. It's called Plus ONE. You can protect one of your eligible players in the PLUS ONE spot and the other player would/could be protected in your normal keeper allotment based on your finish in the Standings. 

 

The upcoming poll will be to determine one other piece of eligibility for the R#* players.  

There are 2 options.

1.    Any rookie/player drafted in the JBL rookie draft (and who has the R#* status) is eligible to be protected in the PLUS ONE spot provided they remain on the same team that drafted them in their original rookie draft  (DRAFT ONLY eligible)

 2. Any rookie/player with the R#* status is eligible for the PLUS ONE spot whether they were drafted by the original team or traded to another JBL team (DRAFT/TRADE eligible)

The Trophy moves to Maui

 

The trophy has moved back to the US and will be hanging out in Maui for the next JBL season. Well done again to the Maui Ribs!!

The JBL rookie lottery was also held last night and French Lick, with only 2 balls in the pot, somehow defied all the odds and won the lottery. That was until we clarified the situation regarding the now defunct Jizzlies squad. Since we are not adding an expansion team and simply relocating the Jizzlies, once we reviewed the video, it was actually the #12 ball that came out first. So our new owner will get the #1 rookie pick. 

The JBL chat feed is active this morning. Seemingly OK with a round 2 of the JBL rookie draft. The key part is allowing teams to "PASS" on making a 2nd rookie pick. I'd like to think we could make this happen quite easily. A 2nd round, inverse order, all 2nd round picks are $1, and JBL teams could PASS if they didn't want a 2nd rookier.

A 15th team thru expansion didn't pass its vote from last year. So we'll be adding one owner to get us back to 14 teams.

Also, I fully support just eliminating the Injured Reserve spot and just allowing 16 players per team from Auction night. 12 active, 4 bench. Means we would be drafting one extra player each on draft night (except for hose teams that select a 2nd rookie).

I still support moving to 51% majority on potential rule changes. Needing 11 of 14 votes to reach the 75% threshold is seemingly impossible. But suggesting that move to 51% -would need 10 of 13 (current # of JBL teams) to happen. 

You can read my previous Chronicle from June 24th for a scoring suggestion (which was floated to me) as well as an additional idea about dynasty options (allowing more keepers)

So...here's where I'm at on all these changes for now:

- Move to 16 roster spots (12 active, 4 bench) - no IR (it's merged into a full-time spot)

- Add 2nd round of rookies; inverse order; all 2nd rounders are $1; teams have ability to pass 

- Replace the 14th team to fill the Jizzlies spot. This is a relocation situation so it means the new owner will inherit the Jizzlies roster, get 2 keepers and it also means that, based on the video review, they get the #1 pick in the JBL rookie draft. 

- propose to move to a 51% majority for rule changes

The Ideas

Some thoughts around potential changes for the JBL....

51% for rule changes (currently require 75% which makes is virtually impossible to implement any new rules). This is the biggest one to get done if we want to consider any changes…

 

Expansion – JBL currently at 13 teams with 3 interested parties

We should add the 14^th team for sure….but what about adding a 15^th as well

What roster adjustments should be considered if we went to 15 teams. Anything?

14 teams x 16 players = 224 roster spots.

15 teams x 16 players = 240 roster spots

As previously mentioned in the Chronicles (March 7, 2022) I would also support dropping the IR spot (16^th spot) and just allowing 4 bench players.

 

2^nd round of rookie draft.

Option to pass if you don’t want to draft a 2^nd rookie

All 2^nd round picks would be $1 dollar.

TBD – the 2^nd round draft order – determined by lottery balls? Inverse of first round? Same as 1^st round?

 

Weekly lineup vs. Daily lineup moves

-      If we went to Daily moves – huge advantage to those who spend every waking minute reading boscores

-      Personally, weekly lineups would still be the fairest and simplest approach.

 

7 category vs 8 cat or 9 cat

Should the JBL consider adding a category?

What about the weightings – should the JBL tweak it?

Heavier weighting on scoring? 

Current - 20-15-13-13-13-13-13 (Pts is 20% and Rebs 15%)

Option 1 - 25-13-13-13-13-13-10 (Pts 25%, blocks to 10%)

Option 2 - 28-12-12-12-12-12-12- (Pts 28%)

 

If it was just French, Golden, Seoul and Wack winning every year (which it was for awhile) then I would say it’s time for a change.

However, we’ve now seen Brussels and Maui win in back to back years. So, let’s keep it the same as other teams are figuring out what it takes to win the JBL title. If there was interest in changing the model, then I would vote for option 2 where everything is equal but there is more emphasis on scoring. 

Dynasty option expanded to include rookies and their development over the years.  

What if anyone on a rookie contract didn’t count against your keeper count total?

So Maui, our champion, has 4 keeper spots, but LaMelo and Mobley are both on rookie contracts – so Maui could keep his 2 rookies plus 4 more keepers. 

This places more emphasis on rookies and would work well with our proposed 2nd round of rookie picks. 

Encourages teams to draft and acquire rookies to build around for the long term. Might increase their trade value as well knowing that a rookie keeper doesn’t count against your keeper limits. 

Could the last place team still protect a rookie then? So 14th place gets no keepers but could keep multiple rookies for the following season? 

We could limit the additional rookie keeper spots to 2 or 3 rookies so we don’t have a JBL team with zero keepers but 9 rookies coming back…or would that really be a concern?

Theme: Draft and build around your 5 year rookie players knowing that they don’t count against your keeper allotment. 

My preferences:

- 51% voting to enable a change

- 15 teams, 16 players per roster (no IR required) – 240 players total (up from 224 today)

- 2 rounds of rookie picks

- No changes to the JBL scoring system

- 2 rookies can be protected, per team, in addition to the standard keeper rules we have today

Offseason Power Rankings

 

OK, I was feeling JBL inspired after recently going for lunch with our reigning champ, Maui Ribs.

 

As promised, I said I would do an offseason power rankings post. Well, it’s time.

 

It will be difficult as I’m not sure who everyone is keeping just yet or if players will get traded this offseason – but you know me – I will give it a go based on what I know/think right now.

 

So what are my criteria for these rankings? These are my thoughts:

 

-          I’m going to assume that all of the players stay healthy and play the majority of the 22/23 season

-          I’m going to assume that they play to at least the level they’ve shown or even with some improvement

-          I’m looking at the JBL salary compared to what I believe that player would go for at auction (best value)

-          I’m considering JBL owner history and recent run of form

-          And I’m considering that more keepers is often likely better than maybe just one good keeper

 

Without further ado…here’s my offseason power rankings by team, number of keeper spots available, possible keepers and a reason for the ranking.

 

#1 – Maui Ribs (4)

Possible keepers - LaMelo Ball, Evan Mobley, Joel Embiid and Desmond Bane.

All undervalued compared to what they would go for at Auction. The defending champs deserve top billing since they get to bring this strong core back.

 

#2 – French Lick (4)

Possible keepers – Klay Thompson, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mitchell Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Al Horford, Norman Powell

Other teams below likely have stronger keepers but French has finished 1^st or 2^nd for eight straight seasons. 8. Count them. He gets this ranking out of sheer respect.

 

#3 – Bangkok (4)

Possible keepers – Haliburton, Dejounte, Edwards, Rozier, Jones, Hart, Johnson

A strong core of potential keepers available. Not the cheapest bunch but assuming the Kok picks the right 4 guys he’s got a strong base for yet another attempt at a JBL title.

 

#4 – Idaho (3)

Possible keepers – Trae, Zion, Jamal Murray, Grant

This is assuming Zion and Jamal are healthy of course. Idaho gets a final year of Trae and 2 years of Zion potentially to try and capture a JBL title. 

 

#5 – Brussels (3)

Possible keepers – Poeltl, Bridges, Sengun, Okongwu, Fultz, Clarke

The team with a lot of cheap keeper options should be ready to load up and aim to prove his JBL title was no fluke.

 

#6 – Arctic (2)

Possible keepers – Maxey, Kyrie, Jalen Green, Herro, Love

Only 2 spots and loads of guys who are undervalued compared to their auction price. Could this be the year the Arctic stays for the whole draft so we don’t have to deal with Autopilot bids? I really like this crop of potential keepers.

 

#7 – Golden (3)

Possible keepers – Bridges, Garland, Giddey, SGA

It’s been 4 years now since Golden last won a JBL title. Can the Godfather find his mojo and not overthink things?

 

#8 – Seoul (3)

Possible keepers – Morant, Siakam, Barnes, Trent Jr.

A strong 3-man core available for Seoul. It’s been 11 years since their last title and only 3 money spot finishes in that same timeframe. Is Seoul still an annual contender? Do they still get that respect?

 

#9 – Chilliwack (4)

Possible keepers – Doncic, Barton, Claxton, Wiggins, Brogdon, Barnes

Luka is a star but I’m not sure about those other keeper spots just yet. 8 years since their last JBL title and only 2 money spots in those 8 years. One year left on Luka’s rookie deal to get things done.

 

#10 – Juan (2)

Possible keepers – Wagner, Portis, Simons

Solid keeper options for 2 spots. No stars but some good value. Strong track record of money spot finishes over the last 10 years.

 

#11 – Cali (2)

Possible keepers – Jokic, Timelord, Duarte

While I like Cali’s keepers more than Juan’s, the track record for success is not the same yet.

 

#12 – Bellingham (1)

Better be keeper – Kawhi Leonard

This is the keeper. Has to be the guy. Can this be the building block that Ham has been waiting for? 13^th, 9^th, 13^th in the first 3 years so maybe this is the year the breakthrough begins.

 

#13 – Norfolk (0)

Norfolk has no keepers. He’s starting from scratch. We knew this was likely after one of the biggest draft night blunders in recent memory. But hey, it was fun and sometimes starting fresh is good and having the most money allows you to control the draft.

 

#14 – EXPANSION TEAM

#15 – EXPANSION TEAM