Could it be? Really? Who is it? The who? Who's the new guy? Well, the new guy isn't new at all. Maybe new and improved? Who knows. After a futile season in Boston (who would support the Pancakes when the Celtics are there?), the Pancakes are no more. They have relocated...to the warm, sandy beaches of Maui where they will forever be known as the Maui Ribs. Congrats Trevor on getting hitched! Maybe Nadine will change your JBL fortunes forever? Hey, look at my track record - pre-marriage = 2 titles and post-marriage = 5 titles. So, it can happen. Congrats and good luck to the Maui Ribs. Just typing Ribs is making me hungry.
PS - I really look forward to your logo....
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
JBL Offseason Trivia
OK, I have a few minutes...so why not do some JBL off season trivia. And no peaking back to the website!!!
Q1. In the last 5 seasons, who has won the most JBL titles??
A1. Seoul has won 3 of the last 5. (Golden has won the other 2)
Q2. Which JBL team has finished in 5th place in four of the past five JBL seasons?
A2. The French Lick Celtics have just missed a JBL money spot in 4 different seasons. (His other finish was 8th place)
Q3. Between Bangkok, Brussels, Idaho, and Trevor's numerous teams - who has the highest finish in the JBL standings over the past 5 years.
A3. Despite two 12th place finishes, Trevor's Pancakes have one 2nd place finish to their credit. (Bangkok's best is 3rd; Brussels is 3rd; and Idaho's is 4th)
Q4. What is Golden's worst finish over the past 5 seasons?
A4. 2nd (3 times). 6 years ago the Golden squad finished 4th. Golden's worst finish was a 10th place debacle back in the 90's.
Q5. Who was the highest scoring PG in the NBA last season?
A5. Derrick Rose was the surprise PPG leader amongts PG's with a 20.8 average.
Q6. 3 players in the 2009/10 season had 20 assists in a game. Name them....
A6. Nash (twice), Darren Collison, and Will Bynum
Q7. 3 players blocked 8 shots in a single game last season. Name them...
A7. Dwight Howard, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins
Q8. 4 rookies had triple-doubles in 2009/10. Name them...
A8. Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Darren Collison, and Terrence Williams
Q9. Who led the NBA in steals last season?
A9. Yes, it was Rajon Rondo.
Q10. Who made the most Free Throws last season??
A10. Kevin Durant made 756. The 2nd best was Lebron at 593. Wow, KD, you get to the line and you make them pay!
Q11. Who led the NBA with 295 turnovers last season? Nash or Howard?
A11. Oh Steve, you shouldn't have. Our Canadian kid has the honor for most TO's in 09/10.
Q12. Who are the 3 second round draft picks from 2009 that made a significant impact to their teams last season?
A12. DeJuan Blair, Marcus Thornton, and Jonas Jerebko. (I'm not gonna make the case for AJ Price in Indiana, because, well, it's AJ Price)
That's all for now....remember, clean up your roster so when July 1st comes we'll be ready for off-season trading. Try and get your rosters down to 6 players.
Q1. In the last 5 seasons, who has won the most JBL titles??
A1. Seoul has won 3 of the last 5. (Golden has won the other 2)
Q2. Which JBL team has finished in 5th place in four of the past five JBL seasons?
A2. The French Lick Celtics have just missed a JBL money spot in 4 different seasons. (His other finish was 8th place)
Q3. Between Bangkok, Brussels, Idaho, and Trevor's numerous teams - who has the highest finish in the JBL standings over the past 5 years.
A3. Despite two 12th place finishes, Trevor's Pancakes have one 2nd place finish to their credit. (Bangkok's best is 3rd; Brussels is 3rd; and Idaho's is 4th)
Q4. What is Golden's worst finish over the past 5 seasons?
A4. 2nd (3 times). 6 years ago the Golden squad finished 4th. Golden's worst finish was a 10th place debacle back in the 90's.
Q5. Who was the highest scoring PG in the NBA last season?
A5. Derrick Rose was the surprise PPG leader amongts PG's with a 20.8 average.
Q6. 3 players in the 2009/10 season had 20 assists in a game. Name them....
A6. Nash (twice), Darren Collison, and Will Bynum
Q7. 3 players blocked 8 shots in a single game last season. Name them...
A7. Dwight Howard, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins
Q8. 4 rookies had triple-doubles in 2009/10. Name them...
A8. Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Darren Collison, and Terrence Williams
Q9. Who led the NBA in steals last season?
A9. Yes, it was Rajon Rondo.
Q10. Who made the most Free Throws last season??
A10. Kevin Durant made 756. The 2nd best was Lebron at 593. Wow, KD, you get to the line and you make them pay!
Q11. Who led the NBA with 295 turnovers last season? Nash or Howard?
A11. Oh Steve, you shouldn't have. Our Canadian kid has the honor for most TO's in 09/10.
Q12. Who are the 3 second round draft picks from 2009 that made a significant impact to their teams last season?
A12. DeJuan Blair, Marcus Thornton, and Jonas Jerebko. (I'm not gonna make the case for AJ Price in Indiana, because, well, it's AJ Price)
That's all for now....remember, clean up your roster so when July 1st comes we'll be ready for off-season trading. Try and get your rosters down to 6 players.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Surprise - Offseason Post
Wow, it's only May and I'm already thinking about the JBL draft in October. Why? Maybe it's because the NBA lottery was yesterday. To every one's surprise, the team with the worst record (Nets) didn't win the lottery. The Wizards pulled off the upset and grabbed the #1 spot and the 76ers moved up to #2. The poor Nets fell to #3 with the TimberWolves and Kings rounding out the top 5.
So, from everything I've seen and read, the obvious top 2 picks are John Wall and Evan Turner. I have actually seen them both play during the NCAA Tourney as well as a couple of regular season college games. Wall has been described as a hybrid of Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose while Turner is being described as the next Brandon Roy. So, based on that, I would say these 2 guys are cream of the crop type rookies. From what I've seen, the rest of the top picks have some risk to them and there are no sure things.
So, do the Wizards take Wall or Turner? They already have Arenas. Can Wall and Arenas co-exist? I don't think they care. I think they take John Wall all the way. The 76ers, if they keep the pick, would then take Evan Turner and have this freakishly athletic team when they run out Holiday, Turner, Iguodala, Young, and whoever. Rumours are already floating that the T-Wolves want to move up from #4 to grab Turner at the #2 spot. Who do they offer up? Big Al? Love? Can Love and Big Al actually play together?? If they don't believe they can - then they should consider making a move for Turner.
The other names being mentioned for top 5 consideration are Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson and some other dudes. I definitely have my work ahead of me to figure out who these guys are and what kind of pro's they will be.
Brussels contacted me today with an idea about JBL keepers. He proposed that JBL keepers should be allowed to be protected for up to 5 years (instead of our current 2 year system). We use to have this waaaaay back in the day. Some JBL owners quit the league when this rule was around. I get Tim's point about 'building a dynasty', but I also see the frustrating point of never being able to get your hands on a guy because one owner keeps him forever. We ultimately went away from this rule and tweaked it to 2 year protection with the 3rd year seeing the player go back in the JBL draft but the last owner having the "right to match". So, Rajon Rondo, who has already been protected twice, goes back in the JBL draft this season. French was his last owner. Rondo is auctioned off and goes for $35 bucks say....then French would have the ability to buy back Rondo for $1 dollar more. The same problem arose - you could never get your hands on a guy. I told Tim to post an article on the JBL site and post a poll and gauge the interest of the owners. I can argue either way. On the one hand, I like the idea of continuity and building a dynasty but I also would like to have a chance to own Stephen Curry before I die. If Bangkok could keep him for 5 years -none of us would ever get him. I realize I could make a trade for him - but that becomes pretty difficult the better Curry gets. Why would Bangkok trade Lebron for Curry really??? Curry is $15 and Lebron is $80 say....so wouldn't you rather have Curry AND Nowitzki over just Lebron? Anyways, will be interesting to see if Timbo follows through and it will be interesting to see how the guys vote....you know me, I'm all for the JBL and if that's what the masses want, we should do it. However, if I was a betting man, I would say it would be hard to pass a 5 year keeper rule.
So, when do we open the offseason trading?? I guess we have to get teams to release some players. I think if every team got to 6 players or less then we could open it up. Poor Idaho, no keepers for you. Brussels has his 2 keepers. Bangkok, Golden, Seoul, French and a few others have short-listed their rosters. If other teams started to cut guys from their squads, we could open offseason trading again.
Is anyone actually watching the NBA playoffs?? I love the NBA, but their playoffs just take too long. I really want the Suns to reach the finals, but it appears the Lakers will not allow it. It looks like we are going to get another Lakers vs. Celtics finals. Which I am OK with. Classic rivalry. Also, it means we'll get some good quotes from Bill Simmons.
It looks like the JBL could be expanding to 13 teams next season. Juan de Fuca ownership has another 2 buddies who want to share a team. They will even come to Vegas for the 20th JBL draft. I've been assured by the other Asians in the pool that these are quality guys who are really into Fantasy Football but definitely know their NBA stuff as well. Plus, it's rumoured their white guys - but I have not been able to confirm or deny this. They would be another 'out-of-province' owner as they too are back east in Ontario (I believe). All other indicators say that all the current JBL teams will be back (Marko is confirmed and Trevor has to come back for the 20th season). Of course, Trev has to move out of the Boston as the Pancakes have not been kind to him. Now that he's a married man - he needs a new place to call home. Maybe I'll remind him now so he has no reason not to have a new team name by the time October rolls around. I also think we'll have a pretty good turnout in Vegas - maybe 8-9 guys ultimately make it - which would be really cool. I guess I need to start checking into hotels with conference rooms with WI-FI so we can all use our laptops again (Hey Trev - don't forget your powercord and Pat, make sure you have a non-secure laptop).
Anyways, thought I would chime in here. My apologies to everyone for not doing an end of season review article. There just wasn't enough time to do one. I will do my best to post on here now and again with my offseason thoughts....
Oh, it looks like we're doing a NBA draft party at Tim's pad in June. That will be cool.
So, from everything I've seen and read, the obvious top 2 picks are John Wall and Evan Turner. I have actually seen them both play during the NCAA Tourney as well as a couple of regular season college games. Wall has been described as a hybrid of Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose while Turner is being described as the next Brandon Roy. So, based on that, I would say these 2 guys are cream of the crop type rookies. From what I've seen, the rest of the top picks have some risk to them and there are no sure things.
So, do the Wizards take Wall or Turner? They already have Arenas. Can Wall and Arenas co-exist? I don't think they care. I think they take John Wall all the way. The 76ers, if they keep the pick, would then take Evan Turner and have this freakishly athletic team when they run out Holiday, Turner, Iguodala, Young, and whoever. Rumours are already floating that the T-Wolves want to move up from #4 to grab Turner at the #2 spot. Who do they offer up? Big Al? Love? Can Love and Big Al actually play together?? If they don't believe they can - then they should consider making a move for Turner.
The other names being mentioned for top 5 consideration are Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson and some other dudes. I definitely have my work ahead of me to figure out who these guys are and what kind of pro's they will be.
Brussels contacted me today with an idea about JBL keepers. He proposed that JBL keepers should be allowed to be protected for up to 5 years (instead of our current 2 year system). We use to have this waaaaay back in the day. Some JBL owners quit the league when this rule was around. I get Tim's point about 'building a dynasty', but I also see the frustrating point of never being able to get your hands on a guy because one owner keeps him forever. We ultimately went away from this rule and tweaked it to 2 year protection with the 3rd year seeing the player go back in the JBL draft but the last owner having the "right to match". So, Rajon Rondo, who has already been protected twice, goes back in the JBL draft this season. French was his last owner. Rondo is auctioned off and goes for $35 bucks say....then French would have the ability to buy back Rondo for $1 dollar more. The same problem arose - you could never get your hands on a guy. I told Tim to post an article on the JBL site and post a poll and gauge the interest of the owners. I can argue either way. On the one hand, I like the idea of continuity and building a dynasty but I also would like to have a chance to own Stephen Curry before I die. If Bangkok could keep him for 5 years -none of us would ever get him. I realize I could make a trade for him - but that becomes pretty difficult the better Curry gets. Why would Bangkok trade Lebron for Curry really??? Curry is $15 and Lebron is $80 say....so wouldn't you rather have Curry AND Nowitzki over just Lebron? Anyways, will be interesting to see if Timbo follows through and it will be interesting to see how the guys vote....you know me, I'm all for the JBL and if that's what the masses want, we should do it. However, if I was a betting man, I would say it would be hard to pass a 5 year keeper rule.
So, when do we open the offseason trading?? I guess we have to get teams to release some players. I think if every team got to 6 players or less then we could open it up. Poor Idaho, no keepers for you. Brussels has his 2 keepers. Bangkok, Golden, Seoul, French and a few others have short-listed their rosters. If other teams started to cut guys from their squads, we could open offseason trading again.
Is anyone actually watching the NBA playoffs?? I love the NBA, but their playoffs just take too long. I really want the Suns to reach the finals, but it appears the Lakers will not allow it. It looks like we are going to get another Lakers vs. Celtics finals. Which I am OK with. Classic rivalry. Also, it means we'll get some good quotes from Bill Simmons.
It looks like the JBL could be expanding to 13 teams next season. Juan de Fuca ownership has another 2 buddies who want to share a team. They will even come to Vegas for the 20th JBL draft. I've been assured by the other Asians in the pool that these are quality guys who are really into Fantasy Football but definitely know their NBA stuff as well. Plus, it's rumoured their white guys - but I have not been able to confirm or deny this. They would be another 'out-of-province' owner as they too are back east in Ontario (I believe). All other indicators say that all the current JBL teams will be back (Marko is confirmed and Trevor has to come back for the 20th season). Of course, Trev has to move out of the Boston as the Pancakes have not been kind to him. Now that he's a married man - he needs a new place to call home. Maybe I'll remind him now so he has no reason not to have a new team name by the time October rolls around. I also think we'll have a pretty good turnout in Vegas - maybe 8-9 guys ultimately make it - which would be really cool. I guess I need to start checking into hotels with conference rooms with WI-FI so we can all use our laptops again (Hey Trev - don't forget your powercord and Pat, make sure you have a non-secure laptop).
Anyways, thought I would chime in here. My apologies to everyone for not doing an end of season review article. There just wasn't enough time to do one. I will do my best to post on here now and again with my offseason thoughts....
Oh, it looks like we're doing a NBA draft party at Tim's pad in June. That will be cool.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Blooming Rose
Well, as the playoffs march along, we see the dominance of the Cavs and Magic as they appear destined for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. This time, the Magic won't have Turkoglu and the Cavs will have Shaq and Jamison. Me thinks the Cavs are Finals bound. But who will they face?? It doesn't look like the #2 seed Mavericks will be there as they now trail the Spurs 3-1. What about the Lakers?? They are knotted 2-2 with the upstart Thunder. I still think they are the favorites to get there and you know the NBA wants to see a Lakers vs. Cavaliers finals...
Anyways, the point of my rant tonight is to discuss Derrick Rose. He is having an amazing series against the Cavs and is currently averaging 27ppg and 8apg. So, my question is, should the Golden squad protect him for next season for $29 bucks?
The Argument for Keeping Him --- He'll be entering his 3rd year and the Bulls should have a new look next season. I would imagine their #1 priority will be to get a shooting guard who can stretch the floor and shoot 3's (look at how poorly the Bulls shot from downtown this season). Wouldn't Joe Johnson look nice in a Bulls jersey? I also think that they will have a new coach patrolling the sidelines. Vinny doesn't have "it" - plus, he got into a shoving match with his GM??? Come on, the guy is out as soon as the Bulls lose this series 4-1. So, in his 2nd season in the NBA, Mr. Rose averaged 21ppg, 6ast, and 4reb per game while shooting 48.9 from the field. OK, he doesn't shoot 3's very well, but then again, he doesn't take a tonne of them anyways. He should only get better in his 3rd season as his assists would likely go up if he was driving and kickin' to a 3PT marksman like Joe. What is Rose was a 19 and 8 guy??? Isn't that worth $29 dollars in the draft?
The Argument against keeping him --- well, for starters, he doesn't get many steals (57 in 78 games). Also, as previously stated in the "FOR" argument, what if Joe Johnson comes into town? Couldn't that mean that Rose's scoring drops to the 17-18 range? Is that enough? Plus, he doesn't help in the 3PT% category like a Billups. Also, the trend in last year's JBL draft was the players went for more than expected or they went for cheaper than expected. Wouldn't it be prudent to take the wait and see approach on Rose to see if he could be had for less? Or has he actually become a big enough name in his 2nd season to warrant protection?
Where would Rose fit in this upcoming JBL draft class? Based on the 2nd half of the seasons' stats and looking at the TENDEX rankings of the top PG's - Rose came in at #6. Who were the top 5?? Deron, Curry, Kidd, Rondo, and Nash. Now, we all know Curry will be protected by Bangkok for $15 and it's likely Nash will be back in Arctic for $39. Deron went for $56 and Kidd went for $30. I get it that Deron is in a different league but it appears that $30 for a top flight PG appears to be about right. Guys like Rondo and Kidd bring some different attributes to the game than guys like Rose and Billups. Rondo and Kidd get the big steal numbers while Rose has become a scorer. Did you know that Rose was 14th in the NBA in scoring this season? (I didn't until I looked it up).
Another potential comparison for Rose could be Brandon Roy ($49 dollar player this past season). Now, don't go laughing your ass off when I compare the two players until you hear me out. In my opinion, Roy is superior, but when you look at the numbers, they are much closer than you think.
PPG - Roy 21.5, Rose 20.8
REB - Roy 4.4, Rose 3.8
STL - Roy 0.94, Rose 0.73
BLK - Roy 0.25, Rose 0.35
FG% - Roy 47.3, Rose 48.9
3PT% - Roy 33.0% (221 attempts), Rose 26.7% (60 attempts)
ATO - Roy 2.372, Rose 2.161
So, depending on how you look at numbers, maybe you're thinking that Roy is clearly superior. And yes, in most categories, he is, marginally, but my point is that if Roy is a $50 dollar player wouldn't you rather get Rose for $30 bucks?? Think of what you could do with that extra $20 bucks...
So...what do you think? Does Golden keep Rose for $29? We have all summer to find out...
Anyways, the point of my rant tonight is to discuss Derrick Rose. He is having an amazing series against the Cavs and is currently averaging 27ppg and 8apg. So, my question is, should the Golden squad protect him for next season for $29 bucks?
The Argument for Keeping Him --- He'll be entering his 3rd year and the Bulls should have a new look next season. I would imagine their #1 priority will be to get a shooting guard who can stretch the floor and shoot 3's (look at how poorly the Bulls shot from downtown this season). Wouldn't Joe Johnson look nice in a Bulls jersey? I also think that they will have a new coach patrolling the sidelines. Vinny doesn't have "it" - plus, he got into a shoving match with his GM??? Come on, the guy is out as soon as the Bulls lose this series 4-1. So, in his 2nd season in the NBA, Mr. Rose averaged 21ppg, 6ast, and 4reb per game while shooting 48.9 from the field. OK, he doesn't shoot 3's very well, but then again, he doesn't take a tonne of them anyways. He should only get better in his 3rd season as his assists would likely go up if he was driving and kickin' to a 3PT marksman like Joe. What is Rose was a 19 and 8 guy??? Isn't that worth $29 dollars in the draft?
The Argument against keeping him --- well, for starters, he doesn't get many steals (57 in 78 games). Also, as previously stated in the "FOR" argument, what if Joe Johnson comes into town? Couldn't that mean that Rose's scoring drops to the 17-18 range? Is that enough? Plus, he doesn't help in the 3PT% category like a Billups. Also, the trend in last year's JBL draft was the players went for more than expected or they went for cheaper than expected. Wouldn't it be prudent to take the wait and see approach on Rose to see if he could be had for less? Or has he actually become a big enough name in his 2nd season to warrant protection?
Where would Rose fit in this upcoming JBL draft class? Based on the 2nd half of the seasons' stats and looking at the TENDEX rankings of the top PG's - Rose came in at #6. Who were the top 5?? Deron, Curry, Kidd, Rondo, and Nash. Now, we all know Curry will be protected by Bangkok for $15 and it's likely Nash will be back in Arctic for $39. Deron went for $56 and Kidd went for $30. I get it that Deron is in a different league but it appears that $30 for a top flight PG appears to be about right. Guys like Rondo and Kidd bring some different attributes to the game than guys like Rose and Billups. Rondo and Kidd get the big steal numbers while Rose has become a scorer. Did you know that Rose was 14th in the NBA in scoring this season? (I didn't until I looked it up).
Another potential comparison for Rose could be Brandon Roy ($49 dollar player this past season). Now, don't go laughing your ass off when I compare the two players until you hear me out. In my opinion, Roy is superior, but when you look at the numbers, they are much closer than you think.
PPG - Roy 21.5, Rose 20.8
REB - Roy 4.4, Rose 3.8
STL - Roy 0.94, Rose 0.73
BLK - Roy 0.25, Rose 0.35
FG% - Roy 47.3, Rose 48.9
3PT% - Roy 33.0% (221 attempts), Rose 26.7% (60 attempts)
ATO - Roy 2.372, Rose 2.161
So, depending on how you look at numbers, maybe you're thinking that Roy is clearly superior. And yes, in most categories, he is, marginally, but my point is that if Roy is a $50 dollar player wouldn't you rather get Rose for $30 bucks?? Think of what you could do with that extra $20 bucks...
So...what do you think? Does Golden keep Rose for $29? We have all summer to find out...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Guy Called Serge...
Who is Serge Ibaka?
He's the guy that everyone is going to want on JBL Draft night in October!
For those that don't know, he plays for those up and comers in Oklahoma City.
Over the last half of the 09/10 season, Serge played about 20 minutes per game backing up Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green in the power positions.
Serge averaged just 7ppg and 6reb per game. He shot 56% from the floor. His ATO was terrible with a ratio of 7/40. But he did manage 68 blocks over that stretch.
Juan de Fuca used him in their lineup down the homestretch in an attempt to improve their block totals.
Clearly, the kid can play.
Did anyone see the first 2 games of the Lakers/Thunder playoff series??
In game 2, Serge went for 6-5-7 in 28 minutes. That's right....7 blocks!
Serge comes from the Congo and is 6'10 and 235 pounds. He's a pogo stick and jumps out of the gym.
Here is NBA.com's BIO on Serge...
He's the guy that everyone is going to want on JBL Draft night in October!
For those that don't know, he plays for those up and comers in Oklahoma City.
Over the last half of the 09/10 season, Serge played about 20 minutes per game backing up Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green in the power positions.
Serge averaged just 7ppg and 6reb per game. He shot 56% from the floor. His ATO was terrible with a ratio of 7/40. But he did manage 68 blocks over that stretch.
Juan de Fuca used him in their lineup down the homestretch in an attempt to improve their block totals.
Clearly, the kid can play.
Did anyone see the first 2 games of the Lakers/Thunder playoff series??
In game 2, Serge went for 6-5-7 in 28 minutes. That's right....7 blocks!
Serge comes from the Congo and is 6'10 and 235 pounds. He's a pogo stick and jumps out of the gym.
Here is NBA.com's BIO on Serge...
Personal:
- Parents both played basketball for the National Team in the Congo
- Has 17 siblings
- Lived with his grandmother during the civil unrest in the Congo in the mid-to-late ‘90s in a house with no electricity or running water
- Learned the game of basketball playing on outdoor courts wearing shoes with cardboard inserts to cover the holes in the soles
-Made donations to the Congolese federation to help create opportunities for other young players to find success
Sounds like your typical upbringing. I think Woo has 17 siblings...no? Oh, okay.
I think the way this kid plays (he's only 20) that he is a prime candidate to be a shot-blocker extra-ordinary next season. OKC was one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season and Serge fits that mold brilliantly. He's not going to be a scorer, but he could be a Ben Wallace, Dikembe type defender.
He should be one of those late round $1 dollar pickups you try and grab to fill out your roster at the end of the JBL draft. I just have a feeling that he will been 'on the radar' and ready for a breakout season. I mean really, he only has the defensive stalwart of Nenad Krstic in front of him.
Remember the name: Serge Ibaka.
Friday, April 16, 2010
2010 Offseason Power Rankings
OK, the rosters are being reduced day by day...
The JBL title was only decided 48 hours ago but I think it's time to do some quick hitting blogs. Sure, I could do my traditional season in review, but that can take hours to go through all those stats and details. And frankly, I'm far too busy these days for that. What I can do though, is these quick hitting blogs that might keep the JBL interest alive over the summer.
So, without further ado, I begin with my 1st official off season power rankings for the upcoming 2010/11 JBL season - the 20th season in our esteemed history.
#1 - Seoul Brothers - did you really expect anyone but the 2 time defending champs?? I mean come on - a championship has its privileges. We know that Phil knows what he's doing when it comes to the JBL. He drafts well. He pays attention to the FA wire. He trades well. He takes chances. And he gets lucky too. All good things for a JBL team.
This team will likely bring back Nene, Bogut and then maybe Lebron, Corey Brewer, or Marcus Thornton. He can keep 4 guys. Is $83 too much for Lebron? What about the old days when 10 guys would go for $100 bucks? Isn't Lebron worth $83 dollars? I guess we'll have to see what zip code Lebron calls home next year. My current guess is Cleveland. Now, if the Cavs go out and win the NBA championship - then maybe James says, "well, I won them a title, nothing left to accomplish, time to head to NYC". What's Lebron worth in a Knicks uniform with Mike D'Antoni as his head coach??? I think Woo is holding onto Lebron at this point to see if anyone will trade for him....
#2 - Bangkok Fighters - the 3rd place team from 2009/10 deserves this early perch based on his strong finish to the season and the fact that he will certainly bring back Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Kaman. Who the 4th will be is still up in the air. My bet would be Rudy Gay or Jonny Flynn.
Curry had an amazing season. He plays loads of minutes on a team that loves to score. He can shoot, pass, steal, and really does it all. Stud! Russell Westbrook took my advice and stopped shooting 3's in the 2nd half of the season (only 23 attempts in his last 41 games). His tendex over the last half of 2009/10 was over 20. Nice work Rusty. So, Bangkok gets the 2-hole for now...see if he can live up to these lofty expectations.
#3 - Brussels Muscles - how can a team that finished 10th in 2009/10 be ranked this high Johnny? Well, I'll give you 2 reasons - Tyreke and frickin' Kevin Durant. Both are extremely undervalued for next season. KD led the league in scoring! In the 2nd half of the season his tendex was over 30! The kid is only going to get better. Read that again and remember he averaged 31 and 8 over his 40+ games. While most JBL teams get a $260 starting budget, Timmy is essentially starting with a $300 budget as both Evans and Durant are severely under-valued to their true value. How does Timbo build around these 2 dynamic studs? More depth guys? Or another super stud? I can argue either way...but I won't. Not yet.
#4 - Golden Showers - OK, I have to put myself in here somewhere. I have to admit, I do know what I'm doing when it comes to building a JBL team. Sure, my latest team came up a bit short and maybe didn't have the usual Johnny-like-flair to it - but it was still pretty good. In the last 5 JBL seasons, the Golden team has been 1st or 2nd every year.
My keepers for next year could be Landry, Josh Smith, Luol Deng, Aaron Brooks, or Derrick Rose. Those would be my leading 5 guys at this point. But I will hang onto Darren Collison for now in case something happens in New Orleans. He proved he can play. No super values in my list but I do think Josh emerged as an all around Fantasy stud since he stopped shooting 3's this season. He ended up with over 300 steals/blocks combined. I believe only Dwight Howard can say he also accomplished that feat.
#5 - Chilliwack Offs - The 4th place team from this season now has back to back money spot finishes. Throw in 3 stud keepers in Marc Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, and AK47 and I like the looks of this team for next season. I mean, come on, the real reason to like this squad is the all-Euro potential that is screaming at them!! Come on Benny, do it, no one born in the USA on this team. That still leaves guys like Nash, Duncan, Nowitzki, Okur, Turkoglu, etc to fill out your roster. You gotta do it. How much fun would that be?? Heck, I'd help identify all those obscure guys born in weird places (Anthony Randolph born in Germany).
#6 - Juan de Fuca. This squad now has some tough choices to make as they will only be able to keep 3 players for next season. They have Monta, Danilo, G-Wallace and Z-Bo all under-valued at their current price. So, which 3 will they choose?? I think you know what to expect from Monta, Zach, and Wallace. What will Danilo do in NYC? Will he be the #4 option or the #2 option - all depends on what the Knicks do. Juan's 3 headed monster are coming off back to back disappointing seasons. This year's 7th place finish is only marginally better than the 9th place finish the year before. However, they do get some slack as they were devastated by injuries all year in Juan. Losing Chris Paul was a killer. Throw in all the other man games lost and I am willing give them a slight mulligan and rank them #6 for the 2010/11 season.
Quickly, here's how I break down the rest of the JBL....
#7 - French Lick - his team looked great in 2009/10. Another team crushed by injury. Always seems to wind up just out of the top tier.
#8 - Arctic - has some good keepers and appears to be right on the cusp each year.
#9 - Yuma - Pat figured some things out this year. Can he make the jump into the elite in 2010?
#10 - Boston - Trev will participate in his 20th JBL draft in October 2010, but his 1st as a married man. Does that change his luck? He must change his team name before being allowed to participate in the draft.
#11- Belgrade - rookie owner felt the rookie lumps. But he's pumped for a comeback in 2010. He will need to earn a higher ranking though.
#12 - Idaho - look, there is no easy way to put this, Idaho sucked balls in 2009/10. There is nothing positive to report. He is starting from scratch though and that might be a good thing. Tuna will have to prove he belongs higher than this as his 2008/09 money finish appears to be nothing but a fluke at this time. Prove me wrong young one.
The JBL title was only decided 48 hours ago but I think it's time to do some quick hitting blogs. Sure, I could do my traditional season in review, but that can take hours to go through all those stats and details. And frankly, I'm far too busy these days for that. What I can do though, is these quick hitting blogs that might keep the JBL interest alive over the summer.
So, without further ado, I begin with my 1st official off season power rankings for the upcoming 2010/11 JBL season - the 20th season in our esteemed history.
#1 - Seoul Brothers - did you really expect anyone but the 2 time defending champs?? I mean come on - a championship has its privileges. We know that Phil knows what he's doing when it comes to the JBL. He drafts well. He pays attention to the FA wire. He trades well. He takes chances. And he gets lucky too. All good things for a JBL team.
This team will likely bring back Nene, Bogut and then maybe Lebron, Corey Brewer, or Marcus Thornton. He can keep 4 guys. Is $83 too much for Lebron? What about the old days when 10 guys would go for $100 bucks? Isn't Lebron worth $83 dollars? I guess we'll have to see what zip code Lebron calls home next year. My current guess is Cleveland. Now, if the Cavs go out and win the NBA championship - then maybe James says, "well, I won them a title, nothing left to accomplish, time to head to NYC". What's Lebron worth in a Knicks uniform with Mike D'Antoni as his head coach??? I think Woo is holding onto Lebron at this point to see if anyone will trade for him....
#2 - Bangkok Fighters - the 3rd place team from 2009/10 deserves this early perch based on his strong finish to the season and the fact that he will certainly bring back Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Kaman. Who the 4th will be is still up in the air. My bet would be Rudy Gay or Jonny Flynn.
Curry had an amazing season. He plays loads of minutes on a team that loves to score. He can shoot, pass, steal, and really does it all. Stud! Russell Westbrook took my advice and stopped shooting 3's in the 2nd half of the season (only 23 attempts in his last 41 games). His tendex over the last half of 2009/10 was over 20. Nice work Rusty. So, Bangkok gets the 2-hole for now...see if he can live up to these lofty expectations.
#3 - Brussels Muscles - how can a team that finished 10th in 2009/10 be ranked this high Johnny? Well, I'll give you 2 reasons - Tyreke and frickin' Kevin Durant. Both are extremely undervalued for next season. KD led the league in scoring! In the 2nd half of the season his tendex was over 30! The kid is only going to get better. Read that again and remember he averaged 31 and 8 over his 40+ games. While most JBL teams get a $260 starting budget, Timmy is essentially starting with a $300 budget as both Evans and Durant are severely under-valued to their true value. How does Timbo build around these 2 dynamic studs? More depth guys? Or another super stud? I can argue either way...but I won't. Not yet.
#4 - Golden Showers - OK, I have to put myself in here somewhere. I have to admit, I do know what I'm doing when it comes to building a JBL team. Sure, my latest team came up a bit short and maybe didn't have the usual Johnny-like-flair to it - but it was still pretty good. In the last 5 JBL seasons, the Golden team has been 1st or 2nd every year.
My keepers for next year could be Landry, Josh Smith, Luol Deng, Aaron Brooks, or Derrick Rose. Those would be my leading 5 guys at this point. But I will hang onto Darren Collison for now in case something happens in New Orleans. He proved he can play. No super values in my list but I do think Josh emerged as an all around Fantasy stud since he stopped shooting 3's this season. He ended up with over 300 steals/blocks combined. I believe only Dwight Howard can say he also accomplished that feat.
#5 - Chilliwack Offs - The 4th place team from this season now has back to back money spot finishes. Throw in 3 stud keepers in Marc Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, and AK47 and I like the looks of this team for next season. I mean, come on, the real reason to like this squad is the all-Euro potential that is screaming at them!! Come on Benny, do it, no one born in the USA on this team. That still leaves guys like Nash, Duncan, Nowitzki, Okur, Turkoglu, etc to fill out your roster. You gotta do it. How much fun would that be?? Heck, I'd help identify all those obscure guys born in weird places (Anthony Randolph born in Germany).
#6 - Juan de Fuca. This squad now has some tough choices to make as they will only be able to keep 3 players for next season. They have Monta, Danilo, G-Wallace and Z-Bo all under-valued at their current price. So, which 3 will they choose?? I think you know what to expect from Monta, Zach, and Wallace. What will Danilo do in NYC? Will he be the #4 option or the #2 option - all depends on what the Knicks do. Juan's 3 headed monster are coming off back to back disappointing seasons. This year's 7th place finish is only marginally better than the 9th place finish the year before. However, they do get some slack as they were devastated by injuries all year in Juan. Losing Chris Paul was a killer. Throw in all the other man games lost and I am willing give them a slight mulligan and rank them #6 for the 2010/11 season.
Quickly, here's how I break down the rest of the JBL....
#7 - French Lick - his team looked great in 2009/10. Another team crushed by injury. Always seems to wind up just out of the top tier.
#8 - Arctic - has some good keepers and appears to be right on the cusp each year.
#9 - Yuma - Pat figured some things out this year. Can he make the jump into the elite in 2010?
#10 - Boston - Trev will participate in his 20th JBL draft in October 2010, but his 1st as a married man. Does that change his luck? He must change his team name before being allowed to participate in the draft.
#11- Belgrade - rookie owner felt the rookie lumps. But he's pumped for a comeback in 2010. He will need to earn a higher ranking though.
#12 - Idaho - look, there is no easy way to put this, Idaho sucked balls in 2009/10. There is nothing positive to report. He is starting from scratch though and that might be a good thing. Tuna will have to prove he belongs higher than this as his 2008/09 money finish appears to be nothing but a fluke at this time. Prove me wrong young one.
Seoul Wins it All in 2009/10
Well, it's all over. Seoul came through on the final night to hang on for his back-to-back titles and his 4th overall JBL crown. Damn you Woo. Damn you!
Well, I had predicted I would come up short - and I was right. It was very close though. I ended up passing French in 3PT% (which ultimately cost him a money spot). I couldn't catch Boston in ATO and Arctic in steals...and then Seoul passed Belgrade in steals as those Zombies didn't help my squad out at all (I think he missed 5 man games on the final night due to injury).
So, Philly Woo's squad, who were almost blown up at the trade deadline, hang on to win the title. This is Woo's 4th title now and has won 3 of the last 5 crowns. How's that for a dynasty? So, how did he do it? It starts with 1 player - Lebron. King James was simply the biggest and best Fantasy player in the NBA this season. Have a look...
30ppg, 9reb, 7ast, 2.494 ATO, 124 STL, 76 BLK, 50.3 FG%. OK, he was mediocre from downtown as he shot just 33.3%. But come on, those are insane numbers.
Then Philly Woo added in his Laker stalwarts in Gasol and Odom. Gasol was a monster and Odom, I think, is quietly under-rated as a Fantasy player. He does the little things quite well. He rebounds, steals, blocks, gets ATO - all the nice little ticks to check off every night.
Then, to top it off, Woo got good/great years from Nene (played all 82 games), Bogut, Marion, Mike Miller, and Corey Brewer.
And when Woo needed to sign a Free Agent - he hit home runs on those guys too. Golden and Bangkok test-drove Boris Diaw this season and he was terrible. He comes in to Seoul and plays 33 games and posts 13-5-4 while shooting 53% and getting almost 0.85 steals and 0.85 blocks per game. Come on, nice work. Other guys who chipped in mightily - Marcus Thornton, Brandon Rush, Shane Battier, and Thabo Sefolosha. Certainly not household Fantasy names - but they fit in perfectly with this crew.
Seoul set a JBL record for BLOCKS and REBOUNDS this year - that always helps!
Woo only made 6 trades this season.(3 with Brussels, 1 Golden, 1 Bangkok, 1 French) We certainly can't say he hooked up with his good buddy Bangkok to buy a winner.
Woo should get full marks for being patient with his team and tweaking it here and there. We can no longer argue about Tendex - I think Phil has made his point. Was there some luck in winning this JBL title, absolutely, but there is always luck involved. Do your homework fellas because Woo is gearing up to attempt the 3-peat - something only done by the Golden Showers and Chicago Bulls in recent memory.
Well, I had predicted I would come up short - and I was right. It was very close though. I ended up passing French in 3PT% (which ultimately cost him a money spot). I couldn't catch Boston in ATO and Arctic in steals...and then Seoul passed Belgrade in steals as those Zombies didn't help my squad out at all (I think he missed 5 man games on the final night due to injury).
So, Philly Woo's squad, who were almost blown up at the trade deadline, hang on to win the title. This is Woo's 4th title now and has won 3 of the last 5 crowns. How's that for a dynasty? So, how did he do it? It starts with 1 player - Lebron. King James was simply the biggest and best Fantasy player in the NBA this season. Have a look...
30ppg, 9reb, 7ast, 2.494 ATO, 124 STL, 76 BLK, 50.3 FG%. OK, he was mediocre from downtown as he shot just 33.3%. But come on, those are insane numbers.
Then Philly Woo added in his Laker stalwarts in Gasol and Odom. Gasol was a monster and Odom, I think, is quietly under-rated as a Fantasy player. He does the little things quite well. He rebounds, steals, blocks, gets ATO - all the nice little ticks to check off every night.
Then, to top it off, Woo got good/great years from Nene (played all 82 games), Bogut, Marion, Mike Miller, and Corey Brewer.
And when Woo needed to sign a Free Agent - he hit home runs on those guys too. Golden and Bangkok test-drove Boris Diaw this season and he was terrible. He comes in to Seoul and plays 33 games and posts 13-5-4 while shooting 53% and getting almost 0.85 steals and 0.85 blocks per game. Come on, nice work. Other guys who chipped in mightily - Marcus Thornton, Brandon Rush, Shane Battier, and Thabo Sefolosha. Certainly not household Fantasy names - but they fit in perfectly with this crew.
Seoul set a JBL record for BLOCKS and REBOUNDS this year - that always helps!
Woo only made 6 trades this season.(3 with Brussels, 1 Golden, 1 Bangkok, 1 French) We certainly can't say he hooked up with his good buddy Bangkok to buy a winner.
Woo should get full marks for being patient with his team and tweaking it here and there. We can no longer argue about Tendex - I think Phil has made his point. Was there some luck in winning this JBL title, absolutely, but there is always luck involved. Do your homework fellas because Woo is gearing up to attempt the 3-peat - something only done by the Golden Showers and Chicago Bulls in recent memory.
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