Welcome to the 25th JBL Season

Well, we are just a day away from the start of the 2015/16 NBA season. More importantly, we are a day away from the start of the 25^th JBL season.  Not since the 20^th year have we had as many owners in one place as 8 of us ventured downtown to hold the draft inside a swanky Level boardroom. Unfortunately, once we left, they are going to need to steam clean the walls (I think Trevor and I left a lasting impression through our beef jerky inspired flatulence) and also clean the carpets due to Woo’s hamster-like approach to eating spitz.  

We also saw an old school methodology as Bangkok relied on a magazine for his player education. I didn’t think they actually printed magazines anymore. 

I thought, since this is our 25th Season and I had some words of encouragement, that I should bring back the JBL Chronicles. My take on everything JBL so that 12 other readers can laugh, cry, and argue over my opinions. 

So, without further ado, I thought I would take you through my observations and my take on some of the teams and picks…

I love the fact that Chris Barnes (South Surrey) drafted Matt Barnes and almost got Harrison Barnes. You know I’m a sucker for theme teams.I also love that Barnes took the first two players nominated (Curry & Paul) for $145. This obviously gave him some time to go make dinner for his family.

We had a much better time with the CBS draft room this year – only a couple of auto-pilots and those were due to Norfolk spending too much time researching instead of being active in the draft room. I think Norfolk should be grateful for Trev’s extra laptop usage otherwise he would have been drafting from his phone. A lesson for next year – I-Pads don’t work for this draft. My other take away would be is make sure you know who you are nominating next so you don’t get stuck with someone you don’t want.

Arctic was aggressive early as he had to get to the annual Haunted House show at Potters. He had Westbrook, Aldridge, Howard, and Love in about 20 minutes before auto-draft took over and landed him such gems as KG, Diaw, Blake, and Bargnani. At least we know Arctic will be busy on the waiver wire. I think we can expect to Steve Blake, Frye and Diaw looking for homes pretty quickly. But you never know with the Arctic – maybe Bargnani was targeted? This team can certainly rebound with the horses he’s brought in. He’ll need to be crafty on the waiver wire and pick up some more gems to go with the core.

Once again, Golden didn’t feel the need to use all of the $260 budget and left a lot of money ($22 bucks) on the table. Thank goodness this team was loaded with keepers to start otherwise it would have been a disaster. That being said, a 3PT shooter is desperately needed with this bunch of shooters. Can Darren Collison (Johnny’s banking on a Rondo implosion) and Jeremy Lin become fantasy relevant again? Will Markieff Morris stay in Phoenix and stay out of prison? What will Hassan Whiteside do for an encore? Is he a one year wonder like Gerardo’s Rico Sauve or will he become something of a classic play-anytime Rick Astley ‘Never Gonna Give You up’? I can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to Tyreke’s return as I certainly need his scoring. Of course, I expect Bangkok to come calling for this perennial Fighter.

Seoul will be singing the Paul Simon song ‘You Can Call me Al’ to start the season as he’s paired Jefferson and Horford as cornerstones to the roster. He will also need to invest in a new hot tub as D-Wade and Mr. Parker will need to be monitored closely at their advancing ages. Will Seoul get some gems in Patterson and Plumlee?  I expect this to be a very good shooting team and I don’t see any glaring holes on the roster. The one thing missing, so far, is a quality volume 3PT shooter. This appears to be the year that Seoul re-establishes himself as a JBL title contender. Maybe Phil drafts better in a crowded room? Maybe he needs to be aromatically pleased with Maui arse smells? The banter that Seoul and Bangkok and produce in a draft room is simply amazing.

Norfolk is a student of the JBL game. Know how I can tell? Because Norfolk and Golden had bidding wars on deep sleepers – that tells me Norfolk does his homework. The question is whether guys like Aaron Gordon, TJ Warren, and Meyers Leonard will actually pan out. That being said, I’m a fan of the Norfolk approach. He got his blocks this year by nabbing Ibaka and Duncan. Norfolk now has a no-drinking policy in the locker room though to try and keep Mr. Lawson on the court. Lots of guys on this roster with unknown performance levels this coming season. How will guys like Kemba, Jack, KCP and Afflalo pan out? And how will those guys shoot the basketball? Are there enough steals on the roster?

Dare I say that Maui is my favourite team after draft night? What is the weakness on this team? I know, having Unibrow for $30 bucks is a luxury but the guys Trevor added at the Auction are perfect compliments to the roster. He has the bigs to rebound, block and FG% (AD, Gobert, Vucevic, Jones, Dirk). He has 3PT shooters (Korver, Gordon, Calderon). He has steals and ATO (Rubio, Teague, Oladipo, Calderon). Well done Mr. Stinky Pants Arksey. Seriously, his arse almost set off the smoke detectors. He stank. Which is the opposite of what he did with his roster. This is a 7 category team. This ladies and gentleman, is my #1 ranked team coming out of the Auction and the early favourite for the JBL title.

MBB went the classic route of golden oldies. He’s taking a major risk with Kobe and Rose. I know Rose isn’t technically old but let’s face it – he’s got the knees/body of a 56 year old. MBB is also Laker heavy with Kobe, Bass, and Swaggy P on board. But let’s not forget to mention that MBB does employ Lebron, John Wall, and Klay Thompson. If everyone stays healthy, this has the potential to be a high scoring team. The weakness of this team appears to be rebounds and blocks. That being said, this could be MBB’s best team yet. Unfortunately, that doesn’t say much about their history. A potential gem or early waiver-fodder is Jeremy Lamb. He could either be Charlotte’s answer at SG or he could be a bench player. If it’s the latter, then I could see Lamb and Mayo on the waiver wire pretty quick.

South Surrey is anchored by the Steph Curry & Chris Paul combination. He also spent big bucks on Jrue Holiday who has major injury concerns. If Jrue could only stay healthy. The big men on this team aren’t overly imposing with Towns and aging veterans Zach Randolph and Tyson Chandler leading the way. The only thing I don’t see a lot of at this stage is rebounds and blocks. Are there enough bigs to compete? ATO and both FG% and 3PT% shouldn’t be a problem for this group and I definitely think this team will finish much, much higher than they did in their rookie campaign. This team takes my dark horse contender pick post-Auction.

Juan de Fuca was already stacked with keepers (Harden, Marc Gasol, Knight) so his draft secured him hometown Jenny Craig poster-boy Kyle Lowry. He also took breakout candidates like Smart, Porter, Aminu, and Tristan Thompson. His center combo of Gasol and Brook Lopez could be the best duo in the JBL (if Brook stays healthy). As usual, not a lot of glaring holes on this roster. He does have quite a few guys who like to shoot 2-3 times from downtown every game and that could be a negative on the 3PT%. Juan, as recent history shows, should be a contender again.

Bangkok had his magazine working. Not sure if Rick realized it was from 1998. Rick paired Blake Griffin with Derrick Favors as his twin-towers to go with other solid assets like Batum, Conley, MCW, and George Hill. This team is not lacking big man depth with Cauley-Stein, Mozgov, Nurkic and Kanter available in the pivot. The Kok has the necessary wild cards on this roster with Stephenson and Lavine as great unknowns. I see this as a strong ATO team with some good PG’s and extra ATO from Blake and Batum. I don’t actually see any glaring weaknesses on this team at this time. The only concern could be roles and playing time for guys like Beverley (loses time to Lawson), Nene (loses time to Humphries) and Wesley Mathews (still recovering from Achilles surgery). As usual, Rick’s drafted a ‘nice team’ but I don’t see anything special. They appear to be middle of the pack in every category – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but it also isn’t necessarily a good thing either. I’m thinking Tricky Rick will be active in the trade market as usual.  

Brussels had the most money coming into the Auction. Why? As Tim pointed out several times during the draft, he finished last and wasn’t able to protect anyone. So Timmy paired Cousins and Millsap as his big guns. Cousins could be one of the biggest fantasy superstars if he could put everything together. Of course, he could also kill George Karl and end up sharing a cell with Aaron Hernandez by Week 4. I look at this roster and I have many questions. Was the baby shower next door distracting? Will Reggie Jackson earn his 80 million? Will Mirotic be able to score consistently? Will Rondo (along with Boogie and George) be able to co-exist? Will Marcus Morris stay out of prison and hold of Stanley Johnson? Will Burks and Chandler become regular fantasy contributors? Will Teletovic and Cody Zeller be able to earn big minutes? What will Jabari Parker’s role be on the deep Milwaukee roster? Could this be the worst FG% shooting team? Can anyone shoot over 50% for the year? I see lots of guys with potential and I think Timmy is crossing his fingers that all of the gambles pay off.

Chilliwack must have loved the 3pm PST start time. Benny already had KD and Paul George on the roster to start the night. Of course, he could have had Draymond Green for $9 bucks as a keeper but did re-draft him for the smooth price of $44 dollars. The lone PG on this team is the aging Deron Williams. What kind of year will he have on a regressing (my thinking) Dallas team? This team is stacked with 3PT gunners employing Danny Green (won in a classic bidding war with Golden), JJ Redick, and JR Smith. The Wack is doing some wishing at the well with the likes of Ed Davis, Josh Smith, Alex Len, John Jenkins, and the $21 dollar gamble John Henson. What sort of roles will these guys carve out? And of course, we have to mention the health of KD and George – can they stay healthy and return to form? My hunch is a resounding YES for both of them. As usual, the Wack will be in contention and cursing me for tempting the JBL Gods about the healthy return of KD and PG13.

French Lick will score more points than anyone else. Mark it down. In pen. This team could average close to 17ppg (which is insane). I also think they are really good in the steals department. As you know, anyone who can win scoring (260 points for 1^st in the category) is likely going to be able to compete. One question I have about the current roster would be around the 3PT jackers (Lillard, Ariza, Ellis, etc) on this team that could bring the percentage down (as well as the FG%). Some questions around the type of years that David Lee and Julius Randle will have (will they play and rebound enough?)  Also, will everyone’s (except Rick because he hadn’t read that far in the magazine) breakout candidate CJ McCollum live up to the hype? French had good keepers to start the night and only built on it so I would consider this team a contender for the JBL title yet again.

Idaho has a lovely singing voice as witnessed by anyone who was in the draft room. He also likes guys who rebound apparently. This is a big team with the likes of Monroe, Noel, Hibbert, Valanciunas, and Faried on the boards. This team doesn’t have much ATO currently (awaiting Kyrie’s return) as he has only Jerian Grant (draft night deal) as a PG on the roster. My questions – what type of year does Ryan Anderson produce? Will Kevin Martin be fantasy relevant in Minnesota or does he get traded to a contender? Will Ben McLemore become a factor – or does he fade away in Sactown purgatory? Can Hibbert rekindle any magic in Laker-gold? Tuna is expecting a return to glory and hopes Roy can put up $40 dollar value. I have lots of questions about this roster but it’s also very solid in Points (Carmelo), rebounds and blocks. The one thing you know for sure about an Idaho team is that what it looks like now is NOTHING to what it will look like by Christmas. Tuna is the MOST active JBL owner we have.

My top 5 contenders coming out of the Auction - Maui, Golden, French Lick, Juan, Seoul.

My dark horse team out of the gate - South Surrey.

My top 3 teams with work to do - Brussels, Arctic, Manhattan Beach

So, there you have it. My early take on the 25th JBL season. I wish everyone the best of luck and thank you all for being apart of the greatest Fantasy Basketball League around. 

The JBL Constitution...

1.0 Administration

1.1 JBL shall contract CBS Sportsline as the official website and stat keeping service for the league.  The cost of this service shall be funded from league entrance fees.

1.2 The Constitution shall be reviewed annually at the JBL Annual Meeting. The JBL Annual Meeting shall be held annually at a date determined by the JBL Commissioner upon the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.

1.3 The JBL Constitution may only be altered by a formal league owner vote. 75% of the league votes are required to institute a new rule change.

1.4 League officers shall be nominated and voted for each year at the JBL Annual Meeting. Officer appointments shall be for a term one year. A JBL owner can be appointed to a position for an unlimited number of consecutive terms. 

1.5 Officer positions include: Commissioner, Treasurer, Secretary, Director of Expansion, and Director of Idaho Trade Management.  The position of JBL Commissioner shall be held by John Edwards.  This is a lifetime appointment.  He cannot resign.  He cannot be fired.  The league is stuck with him.

1.6 JBL Commissioner is responsible for enforcing the JBL constitution. 

1.7 Treasurer is responsible for the payment of league expenses and performance pay-outs and collection of entrance fees.

1.8 At each annual meeting, the league will confirm by way of vote that Idaho is a douche bag.

1.9 Rule change votes must be preceded by a discussion period. All league owners shall be allowed to express an opinion for consideration during this discussion period. The vote shall not take place any less than 7 days after the conclusion of the discussion period.  The wording of the vote cannot be prejudicial to either side of the argument and should only state the facts of the rule.  The discussion period can be (and is encouraged to be) highly prejudicial.  Name-calling is encouraged.

1.10 League entry fee is $100

1.11 Performance payouts shall by the total league revenue (less expenses) and will be allocated as follows: 1st place: 50% 2nd place: 25% 3rd place: 15% 4th place: 10%.

1.12 All owners agree to abide by the practices of fair play inherent in fantasy sports. (The Brussels pledge)

2.0 The Auction

2.1 The draft shall take the form of an auction format.

2.2 Each team shall have $260 to spend to collect 15 players.  Teams must have a roster of 15 players by the end of the Auction

2.3 Players are auctioned off by each team taking a turn to select a player for auction. The auction order follows the proceeding year's standings. League champion nominates the 1st player for auction; then 2nd place; and so on.

2.4 Unless Phil Woo is hosting the auction, he is required to be at least 30 minutes late.  Owners on the east coast shall be required to wait for Phil Woo no matter how early they need to get up in the morning.

3.0 Trades

3.1 In-season trading is allowed between the moment after the conclusion of the draft until the season's trading deadline. The next JBL season begins once all teams have reduced their team rosters to the maximum allowable (must be done by October 1st).

3.2 A trade of any combination of players and any combination of teams is permissible so long as that by the end of the current scoring period each team is (a) equal or below the salary cap, (b) equal or above the salary floor, and (c) is in compliance with the roster position rules

3.3 Trades involving collusion are a serious JBL offense. The intent of any trade must be to strengthen the current or future roster of the JBL team. Stupid trades are permissible and are punishable only by public ridicule. 

3.4 The keeper trade deadline is the NBA All-Star weekend.  The deadline may be altered during shortened NBA seasons at the discretion of the JBL Commissioner.

3.5 The JBL trade deadline is the last Sunday of March every year.

3.6 Offseason trading begins on October 1st and will be suspended at the start of the JBL Auction.

3.7 Teams cannot trade players for FA dollars.

3.8 Teams cannot trade rookie draft picks for FA dollars.

3.9 Teams can trade players for future rookie picks (only one year into the future though). 

3.10 All trades involving future rookie picks will be tracked on the JBL website.

4.0 Free Agency

4.1 Each team shall have $130 to use throughout the NBA season to bid on free agency players.

4.2 Free agent dollars cannot be traded for players or rookie draft picks.

4.3 Free agent winning bids that are $10 and under will become the players JBL salary (unless that player was initially drafted at auction - then the player retains his Auction price as his JBL salary). 

4.4 All winning free agent bids over $11 will equate to a $10 FA salary. (unless the player was drafted at Auction - he retains his Auction price)

4.5 Teams shall be entitled to bid on free agent players throughout the week and players will be awarded to the highest bidder on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights throughout the season.

4.6 $0 bids are not allowed.

4.7 All free agents signed during the course of the JBL/NBA season must play a minimum of 20 regular season NBA games in order to be eligible for protection the following year.

5.0 Protection

5.1 Teams finishing 1st to 4th in the standing can protect up to 4 players for the next season.

5.2 Teams finishing 5th to 8th in the standings can protect a maximum of 3 players the next season.

5.3 Teams 9th & 10th in the standings can protect up to 2 players the next season.

5.4 Teams finishing 11th and 12^th in the standings can protect 1 player the next season.

5.5 Teams finishing 13^th in the standings shall not be entitled to have any keepers the next season.

5.6 Players can be protected for a $5 dollar bump in the previous years' JBL salary.

5.7 In order to be eligible for protection - the player must on a JBL team's roster by All-Star weekend and remain there for the remainder of the season.

5.8 Players can be protected to year 3 - after that - they go back into the auction. Rookies drafted in the JBL Rookie Lottery are eligible for 5 years of protection (provided they remain on a JBL roster at all times)

5.9 Any player (even injured) is eligible for protection if he was drafted at auction. 

5.10 All free agents signed during the course of the JBL/NBA season must play a minimum of 20 regular season NBA games in order to be eligible for protection.

5.11 Roster limits expire on October 1st and teams can begin to make trades (of players and/or current year or next year draft picks).

 6.0 Offseason Activity

6.1 All players in the final year of their contract or acquired after the keeper deadline will be released following the end of the JBL/NBA season.

6.2 By July 1^st, JBL teams will reduce their roster to a maximum of 10 players.

6.3 By September 1^st, JBL teams will reduce their roster to a maximum of 6 players.

6.4 The JBL Lottery will be held sometime in the offseason but prior to October 1st.

6.5 At least 2 JBL owners must be in attendance for the JBL Rookie Lottery to be official.

6.6 By October 1^st, JBL teams will reduce their roster to the maximum number of protection spots available to their team.

6.7 October 1^st, once all roster cuts have been made - the JBL offseason trading opens and the JBL rookie draft commences (roster limits expire).

6.8 The JBL rookie draft shall be held sometime between October 1^st to October 12^th.  The exact date shall be determined by the JBL Commissioner.

6.9 JBL teams are allowed to release a player up to 24 hours prior to the Auction start time (this would usually be due to injury).

7.0 Rookie Lottery

7.1 The Rookie Lottery will be held sometime during the summer months.

7.2 Beginning in 2012, JBL teams will receive the same number of lottery balls as their finish in the JBL standings the year before. (ie. 1st place gets 1 ball; 6th gets 6 balls; and 13th place gets 13 balls). This is a weighted Lottery.

7.3 The lottery will take the format of a true lottery. 1st ball out gets 1st pick. 2nd ball out gets 2nd pick, etc

7.4 On October 1st (or thereabouts), once all roster cuts have been made - the rookie draft begins.

7.5 The team with the #1 pick has 24 hours to pick a rookie player or trade the pick.

7.6 Each team will announce their pick on the JBL website or inform the League Commissioner and he will post the pick or trade announcement.

7.7 Rookie salaries will be $15-12-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1 from picks 1 to 13.

7.8 Each JBL team must either select a NBA rookie or trade the pick. 

7.10 The rookie must be from the current NBA rookie crop (selected from 1 to 60 from the last NBA Draft)

7.11 JBL teams are allowed to select a rookie and then after the rookie draft is complete - the JBL team can release him. The rookie goes back into the Auction - available for any team at any price (i.e. the rookie salary structure does not apply).

8.0 Rookie Lottery Protection

8.1 Any rookie selected in the Lottery is initially eligible for 5 years protection

8.2 The rookie cannot be released from a JBL roster at any time (during the NBA or offseason) or the 5 year window is broken.

8.3 The rookie can be traded and still be eligible for 5 years protection.

8.4 Rookies eligible for this 5 years protection can easily be identified in the Contract column through a status of R1, R2, R3, R4, Final over the years.

8.5 Standard $5 dollar salary bumps apply each year

8.6 Standard protection requirements also apply (must be on your roster before the All-Star break)

8.7 Any NBA rookie selected at Auction is not eligible for 5 years protection. Standard rules apply. The 5 year keeper rule is only available for those rookies selected in the Rookie Draft.

9.0 Scoring

9.1 Points 20 Rebounding 15 FG% 13.3 3PT% 13.3 ATO 13.3 Steals 13.3 Blocks 13.3

9.2 Ranked 1-13 in each category

9.3 Category value x inverse rank

9.4 Scoring is YTD accumulation of stats in each category

9.5 Players accumulate stats for a team during periods when they are placed in a starting roster position

9.6 Tie breakers in the standings - head to head in the 7 categories - best team wins. If, for some reason, the teams are tied in one category then it moves to the team with the most 1st place categories. If still tied, the most 2nd place categories, and so on.

10.0 Rosters

10.1 At the conclusion of the annual JBL Auction, teams must have 15 players (combo of Auction players and keepers). No more than $260 is to be spent at Auction & Protection.

10.2 During the season, JBL teams must have a minimum of 12 players (starters) and could have a  maximum of 16 players (12 starters, 3 bench, 1 injured)

10.3 Each week teams must start 12 players. The combination must include 4-6 Guards, 4-6 Forwards and 1-2 Centres

10.4 Position eligibility is determined by CBS Sportsline

10.5 A JBL teams salary, at the start of every scoring week, must not be less than $200 and no more than $300.

10.6 An injured players’ salary does not count against the $300 dollar salary cap maximum. 

10.7 An injured players’ salary can be used to get to the salary cap floor.

10.8 If a JBL team is over the salary cap and cannot get under the $300 dollar threshold by the start of the next scoring period - they must release any number of player(s) to get under the salary cap while maintaining all other roster requirements. If the JBL team refuses to do so - the JBL Commissioner will have the power to make any roster moves required (add/drops). 

10.9 If a JBL team is under the salary cap floor ($200) by the time the next scoring period begins - they must make any necessary roster moves to get to the floor. That would include adding Free Agents or making trades. If the JBL team doesn’t have any Free Agent dollars to use to sign free agents - trades must be made. The JBL team will be given one week grace period to get to the $200 floor. If they fail to get to the $200 dollar salary cap floor, the penalties shall be:

Free Agent dollars penalty (example: a JBL team’s salary is $190. He is $10 dollars under the floor. Each week he remains under the floor the JBL Commissioner will deduct whatever amount he is under the floor (in this example $10 bucks) off of his remaining Free Agent dollars under his Free Agent bank is empty...

If the JBL has no Free Agent dollars remaining - the JBL team will be given a one week grace period to get to the $200 dollar minimum. If they fail to do so through trades - they will forfeit their rookie pick in the following year.

10.10 For a player to be eligible for the ‘Injured Reserve’ spot on a JBL roster - he must have a ‘medical sign’ beside his name at the start of the scoring period.

10.11 If a player begins the week on ‘Injured Reserve’ and then gets healthy during the week - the JBL team must move him to a reserve/active role and adjust their roster accordingly.

2013/14 Year in Review - Part 4

2013/14 JBL CHAMPIONS....

Chilliwack Offs.

Kevin Durant. Lebron James. Tim Duncan. Paul George. The big 4 of the Chilliwack Offs. And don't forget the contributions that Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond provided before being shipped out.

And check out these 2 players...

Player A - 32ppg, 7reb, 50% FG, 39% 3PT, 103 steals, 59 blocks, 1.561 ATO
Player B - 27ppg, 7reb, 57% FG, 38% 3PT, 121 steals, 26 blocks, 1.807 ATO

That's what it's like to have Durant (A) and James (B) on your team. Has one team ever sported the top 2 Fantasy studs??

Duncan averaged 15-6-2 in his 40 games in Chilliwack.
Paul George was 22 and 7 with 151 steals.
Kawhi Leonard was 13ppg, 6reb, 52/38%, 114 steals, and 49 blocks.
Kevin Martin averaged 19ppg while shooting 39% from downtown.
Miles Plumlee, Brandon Bass, and Paul Pierce were the perfect complimentary pieces.

Everything went pretty well in the Valley this season.

I will say that the LVP of this squad turned out to be OJ Mayo. What a disappointment this guy was. Didn't the Wack protect him? He ended up in 34 games for the Offs but averaged just 11ppg while shooting 37/32. So at least it wasn't a perfect season.

Paul George finally goes back into the Auction this season. Thank goodness.

So who will Benny protect for next season?? Don't be surprised if Lebron (for $87) and Durant (for $83) both return for another season. K-Mart will likely be back with just a $10 dollar salary. That's a bargain for a near 20ppg scorer.

Benny's team was in 1st place from week 2. Most of the time his lead was over 100 points. It was a year of dominance from the Wack. Now, can he win back-to-back? Will Cord do the Auction again for him? Will Benny land the #13 rookie pick or will lady-luck shine on his one ping pong ball and move him up the lottery board?? All things to be answered this fall...

And finally, before I sign off...here are my top 13 rookie picks (1st edition)...
And yes, that means my 2014/15 research has already begun..

1. Joel Embiid
2. Jabari Parker
3. Andrew Wiggins
4. Julius Randle
5. Marcus Smart
6. Dante Exum
7. Noah Vonleh
8. Kyle Anderson
9. Doug McDermott
10. Gary Harris
11. Aaron Gordon
12. Rodney Hood
13. Nick Stauskas (just to get a 2nd Canadian kid in the JBL lottery)

Good day sirs.

2013/14 Year in Review - Part 3

Part 3...

4th place - Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas
The Mamas are becoming one of the most consistent contenders in the JBL. This year they finished 4th and the two previous years they've finished 3rd. That's 3 straight years of money spots. They also hold the distinction of being the last team not named Chilliwack, Seoul, or Golden to win the JBL crown. That was 2000/01. This year's Mamas team was very solid as 12 of the guys played more than 57 active games for them. In total, only 24 players came through town. But why change anything when you have core performers like Carmelo, Klay, Kemba, Thaddeus, and Conley. The only weakness for Juan was the FG% as they were 12th in that category. This team should clearly be a favourite again in 2014/15 for title contention.

MVP - Carmelo. I've long believed that you can't win the JBL crown with Carmelo. Well, I take that back. Despite me not liking the way he plays the NBA game - his fantasy numbers are incredible. 27ppg and 8reb. His %'s are quite good (45 and 40) considering how many shots he takes. He added 96 steals and 51 blocks.
LVP - Roy Hibbert. I will explain. At $46 bucks, this 7'2 center should give you more than 10 and 6. How can someone that tall only grab 6 rebounds a game?? I love the 181 blocks but I expected so much more from Big Roy. Also, how does he shoot 44% from the field???
Unsung Hero - This was a hard one because of how good the core was in Juan. But I'll give the award to DeMarre Carroll. He played 45 games for Juan when called upon and averaged 11 and 5 while shooting 48 and 37. Not bad for someone plucked off the waiver wire.
Prized Keepers - How about Carmelo for $47 bucks? Maybe the young PG in Utah Trey Burke for $7? What about Kemba? Henson? Afflalo? There are some decisions to be made this off season.

3rd place - Maui Ribs
Like a fine wine Trevor is getting better with age. One of JBL originals has strung together back to back good seasons. This year he finished 3rd. Last year he was 6th. This season he was just 22 rebounds shy of a 2nd place finish. Maui has greatly benefited from back to back #1 rookie picks (Unibrow and Oladipo) and both of those guys played key roles in the successful year. Also, keeping Dirk and Chandler Parsons allowed Maui to build off a very strong core. Trev and I drafted from Whistler and he must have channelled his inner-Golden as his team looked more like a Showers draft than my did. He had Tony Allen, Spencer Hawes, Ibaka, Splitter and I loved his team heading into the season. Trev finished 3rd and only used 18 players all season!! That means he only added 3 guys all year. Imagine if his Bynum pick had paid off? Well, Maui should be well stocked for next season with 4 very capable keepers and we'll have to see what kind of rookie pick Trevor winds up with this season.

MVP - I think Anthony Davis is one of the best Fantasy studs out there but I'm giving the Maui MVP to Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk played 13 more games than the Unibrow and Dirk averaged 22 and 6 while shooting 50% and 40%. He also chipped in 73 steals and 45 blocks and had a 1.830 ATO. All at an age when Dirk was supposed to be washed up. Congrats Dirk - you're still the man.
LVP - Andrew Bynum was worth drafting as a gamble. Had he somehow gotten healthy and put up big numbers Maui might have been a title contender. As it turned out, he couldn't stay healthy was a major bust.
Unsung Hero - There are a couple of candidates here with Parsons and Oladipo but my favourite was Spencer Hawes. A $5 dollar center that averaged 13 and 8 with 86 blocks and 46/42 shooting %'s. Very nice.
Prized Keepers - Anthony Davis for $25? Yes please. 21ppg, 10reb, 51% with 89 steals and 189 blocks in just 67 games!! Maybe he should have been Maui's MVP. Add in guys like Dirk, Oladipo, Parsons, and Dragic and Maui's cupboard is full of goodies.

2nd place - Brussels Muscles
The Muscles skyrocketed to the top of the standings after 10th and 13th place finishes over the last 2 seasons. 36 players and 13 trades this season had Brussels challenging for top spot. In the end, it was the 3PT shooting (10th) that was his issue. They were 1st in steals and rebounds and were 3rd in scoring. But this was going to be the Wack's year once he cashed in his Drummond chip. The Muscles started the year with 2 excellent keepers in Lillard and Vucevic. And it was wonderful to see the Lillard chip cashed in to take a shot at the title. That's good JBL'ing. Sure, it didn't pan out - but he tried. Love it. Pau Gasol and his vertigo can be blamed for the poor stretch run. The core of this team - Cousins, Millsap, Batum, Wall, Knight, Rubio, Stephenson, Waiters - were simply awesome. Now, Brussels will have 4 keeper spots to build upon for next season. They are well positioned for another JBL title run.

MVP - DeMarcus Cousins. 23 and 12 while shooting 50% and adding 109 steals and 91 blocks. Yummy.
LVP - Tough call when this squad was so good but I'm going with Greg Monroe. He played 38 games for Brussels and did average 14 and 8. But this was a $48 dollar guy that should have improved. Unfortunately, Detroit was a mess and Monroe was just average in my books. Add in the fact that he only blocked 19 shots in those 38 games for Brussels and I had to give him my LVP. Of course, the easy choice was the Larry Sanders experiment but that's already been touched on.
Unsung Hero - Lance Stephenson wasn't even drafted at Auction last year. Timmy spent big FA dollars on him and boy did that move pay off. 14ppg, 7reb, 5ast and 49% FG. Very good stuff for a FA pickup.
Prized Keepers - Vucevic for $11 bucks still has to be the best value but guys like Knight, Stephenson and Waiters will be in the mix for a roster spot next season...

That's all for this morning...
Next up, the breakdown of the 2013/14 champion Chilliwack Offs and Johnny's Top 10 Rookie Picks for next season.

Enjoy your weekend.

2013/14 Year in Review - Part 2

Carrying on...

9th place - Idaho Udapimps
The Pimps were hanging around in the 5th to 8th range for the longest time. Unfortunately, they slipped to 9th in the last 7-10 days of the season and ultimately only end up with 2 keepers. The last 3 years have produced 9th, 7th, and 7th place finishes so this middle of the pack ending should not be surprising. This squad was built around super-keeper James Harden and draftees Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. The Pimps struggled in 3PT% and ATO will look to rebuild his squad through the draft next season. You gotta give the kid credit for trying as he used 49 players this season. Nice work.

MVP - James Harden. He finally goes back into the Auction. How much will his 25-4-6 go for at the draft? Fear the beard will be on many people's draft boards as he continues to improve.
LVP - Andre Iguodala. Look, I like Iggy. Great all around player. Just not the fantasy force he once was. He's better in real life than in the JBL. He was drafted for $32 bucks and put up 9-4-4??? Shocking.
Unsung Hero - Kris Humphries. Mr. Kardashian surprised me by putting up 10ppg, 7reb, and 1bpg in 34 games for the Pimps.
Prized Keepers - Rondo and Rose will likely be Idaho's 2 keepers. He'll be hoping that both of them return to 100% before next season.

8th place - French Lick Legends
Losing Al Horford to season ending surgery early in the season was a devastating blow. Adding insult to injury was trading Klay Thompson for the always high Larry SANDERS!. Whoops. That kinda set the tone for French's season of mediocrity. Steals and ATO were the biggest issues in Larry's home town this past season. The past 3 seasons now have produced this 8th place finish preceded by a 12th place finish and a 2nd place finish. Again, all stops were pulled out as French used 51 roster players this season and made 13 trades.

MVP - DeAndre Jordan. 82 games. 10ppg, 14reb, 203 blocks, 80 steals, 68% FG%. Enough said. The guy was a monster. Love his game for Fantasy. Who cares about awful FT% when he does all that.
LVP - Al Horford & Larry Sanders. 32 combined games. Yes, they would have helped a lot!
Unsung Hero - Randy Foye. I didn't expect him to average 15ppg in his 31 games for French. He also hit at 40% from downtown. Nice work for a guy considered by many to be irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Prized Keepers - Jordan and Lillard. 2 very solid studs for next season. Jordan will be $19 and Lillard will be going into Year 3 of his rookie deal for $22 bucks.

7th place - Arctic Circle Jerks
I had to go to the tie-breaker rules (head to head categories) to determine that Arctic will finish 7th. Norfolk won the head to head categories 4 to 3 to get 6th. The good news for Arctic is the extra ping pong ball for the Rookie Lottery. If that floats your boat at all. This years 7th place finish comes after his runner up finish from 2012/13 and his 8th place finish in 2011/12. This year's Circle Jerks were built through his keepers (Curry, Beal, Faried); the draft (Griffin & Paul) and through Free Agency. Crikker only made 2 trades and both of them were in October. Having a big 3 of Curry, Paul, and Griffin must have been very entertaining to follow. The team's weakness was in rebounds and blocks and not addressing those needs kept him in the middle tier this year.

MVP - I can argue for any of the big 3 but I really liked what Curry did this season. 24ppg, 8apg, and shot 47/42 with 129 steals. You want to give it to Blake and his 24 and 9 with 53% shooting - I have no problem with that either.
LVP - Derrick Williams played 61 games for Arctic and averaged 8 and 4. Surely there must have been someone else somewhere that would have helped more.
Unsung Hero - McBob!! Josh McRoberts was a nice role player. He really should have been in Bangkok on the role player team. McBob only averaged 8-4-4 but his ATO was 4.000+ and he chipped in 58 steals and 46 blocks. Not too shabby.
Prized Keepers - I think Curry, Griffin, and Beal could all be good starting points for next season.

6th place - Norfolk in Chance
Easily my favourite expansion team of all time. What can you say about a new team that comes into the league, site unseen, and finishes in 6th place?? Already, he has bragging rights on the Kok and Seoul. He used 33 players and made 7 trades. Again, impressive. FG% and ATO were Norfolk's achilles heal this year but he's done very well in his first crack at the JBL. This was a well balanced team that was initially built around Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson. He turned Jefferson into Eric Gordon and Marcin Gortat. The other gem on this team was Isiaih Thomas ($4 bucks). His numbers were awesome. With 3 keeper spots I'm interested in seeing who Dave will bring back next season. He will also get to see how his lottery luck goes this year as he had to settle for the 13th rookie pick and went with Dennis Schroeder.

MVP - Trevor Ariza or Isaiah Thomas could fit here or in the Unsung hero spot. Ariza averaged 14 and 6 while being active for 74 games in Norfolk. He shot 46/41 and added 126 steals. His numbers kind of sum up how Norfolk did so well this season. Very few stars. Just a well balanced and well rounded team. Kind of the Seoul-model I think.
LVP - The Kevin Garnet experiment last 20 games in Norfolk and produced just 6 and 6.
Unsung hero - Check these numbers out.
Player A - 19ppg, 6ast, 4reb, 45% FG, 33% 3PT, 141 steals, 23 blocks, $48 bucks
Player B - 20ppg, 6ast, 3reb, 45% FG, 35% 3PT,  93 steals, 8 blocks, $4 bucks
The first guy is Monta Ellis and the 2nd guy is Isaiah Thomas.
Prized Keepers - Obviously I like IT3 a lot. I also like Gortat and Ariza as solid producers. There are a couple of others that could be keeper potential but the prize of the bunch is Mr. Thomas.

5th place - Golden Showers
51 players and 8 trades could only get me 5th place. Golden was attempting to 3-peat for a second time. I blame my poor draft and the injuries. I pooped the bed on draft night and never really recovered. There was a glimmer of hope in the middle of the season but major injuries to Jrue Holiday, Eric Bledsoe, Tobias Harris, and LaMarcus Aldridge ultimately sealed my fate. Steals and 3PT% were my weak categories. I made some good trades (getting Big Al for Big Pek) and made some doozies (Eric Gordon for AK47 and Noel?). Oh well. You gotta try right?

MVP - Aldridge. Despite missing 16 games I'm still going to give it to the big guy in PDX. He put up 23 and 11 but only shot 46%. Still, he was very good and has to be considered one of the better shooting 4's in the NBA.
LVP - Ersan Ilyasova. He's banned from Golden now after this season. I had such high hopes for him. I gave him 38 games to sort himself out and he failed miserably. 11 and 6 and infinite curse words from me.
Unsung hero - It's either Terrence Jones (13ppg, 7reb, 99 blocks) or Robin Lopez (11ppg, 8reb, 139 blks). Both over-achieved and were pleasant surprises in Golden this season.
Prized Keeper - I'm really interested to see what this Nerlens Noel kid can do. People forget that his one year in Kentucky when he averaged 10ppg, 9reb, 59% FG, 2stl, and 4.4 blks per game. He's had a year to rehab and build up his body. I'm hoping he's a shot blocking extraordinaire in Philly next season.

Next up...the top 4 teams in Part 3 of the Year in Review...

Happy Easter.

2013/14 Year in Review - Part 1

What a season! This was the 23rd in the JBL. Our champs? The Chilliwack Offs. Benny picks up his 4th title and his first since 04/05. In fact, it's been 8 years since a Seoul or Golden team has won the title. In the historical realm, Benny is now just one title (4) behind the Seoul squad (5). You can bet that will be on his mind when we draft teams in for year 24 in October.

I'm going to start off this season review with some shocking news. Maybe something that you won't believe. This year, the JBL season was 25 weeks long. Do you know how many weeks of the year the Offs were in 1st place?? Do you? Try 24 weeks! The only time he wasn't in first place at the end of a period?? Week 1. He was 5th after week 1. Talk about anti-climatic when you look at it from that perspective. So, who was the only other team to have the lead at the end of a period this year?? French Lick.

So where does the Offs season rank in terms of dominance?? It has to be up there for sure. Benny's team led the JBL for the last 24 weeks of the season!! That is pretty rare air I would think. Of course, when you start the year with Durant, George, Drummond you are in pretty good hands. And give credit to Cord for drafting the solid core around those 3 guys. Even a $42 dollar mistake named JaVale McGee couldn't stop this runaway freight train filled with Peaches & Cream.

So let's look at our teams, in reverse order of standings, and try to breakdown what went right. And of course, what went wrong. Every JBL team has to have a MVP, LVP (least valuable player), an unsung here or surprise NBA'er, and of course a 'prized possession' player for next season. Away we go...

13th place - Montreal Poutang.
The last 3 years have gone 13th, 8th, and 10th. This season was almost doomed from the get-go when they showed up 30 minutes late for the Auction. By that time, they already owned Westbrook and Jennings and had to overpay for Marc Gasol. The Poutang just never got on track this year and I hope they will come back to try and right the ship. I know we're all busy and don't put the time in that we used to into the pool but I'm hoping a 2-owner team can somehow find the time to come to Auction in October 2014 ready to redeem themselves.

MVP - Joakim Noah. 12ppg, 11reb, 5apg, 99 steals, and 123 blocks. Absolute stud. Crazy to think he's actually better without Rose around.
LVP - Danny Granger. A 39 game experiment just didn't pan out as he averaged just 8ppg in Montreal.
Unsung Hero - PJ Tucker. A 38 game stint in Montreal where he averaged 9ppg, 7reb, and shot 38% from downtown. A surprisingly good role player for a surprisingly plucky Suns team.
Prized Keeper - no one. Last place gets you no one. They will have to build from scratch next season.

12th place - Manhattan Beach Ballers. 
The last 3 years have gone 12th, 11th, and 11th. I'm not surprised by these finishes as Bobby failed to make a single transaction this season. He did not spend a single FA dollar. He drafted his team...and disappeared. Sure, he lost Brook Lopez to yet another foot injury and I think Bangkok is probably happy for that otherwise he could have been staring up at our new-age ghost team.

MVP - Kevin Love. 26ppg and 13reb. Monster scoring and boards without much else. How many more years will Minnesota live with mediocrity?
LVP - Brook Lopez. MBB only got 17 games from their $40 dollar center. That sucks.
Unsung/Surprise Player - Cody Zeller. I'm giving this award to Zeller because I'm shocked that he played in all 82 games in MBB's starting lineup while averaging 6ppg and 4reb. Shocking.
Prized Keeper - it's still got to be Love. He can be protected for $54 bucks.

11th place - Bangkok Fighters
The last 3 years are 11th, 9th, and 9th. Of course, I'm sure Rick would want me to mention the year before that he finished 2nd with 1109 points (more than Benny this year). But alas, his trophy cabinet is empty. There are no titles in Kokland. This year's Kok team should have been known as the all role player team. Chris Bosh is a nice player. 16 and 6 with 52% shooting and a steal and a block per game. That's nice. But he's not upper echelon anymore. Tristan Thompson? He's ok. Evan Turner, yeah, he's alright. Only John Wall had that star power for the Kok this season. This roster was filled with filler. Mike Scott (29g). Khris Middleton (40g). General Grievous (64g). All nice guys - but no star power. Now that being said, I love the trade the Kok made to bring in Michael Carter-Williams. Sure, he shoots (40/26) about as well as an old man with a saggy boner trying to hit the toilet bowl - but the kid can play and he stuffs the stat sheet.  17-6-6 with 129 steals and 43 blocks in 70 games. This kid could be very good in a couple of years and the Kok will have him for $15 bucks in the 2nd year of his rookie contract. Nice work.

MVP - John Wall. He was the man in Kokland (20ppg and 9apg) while he was around for 52 games.
LVP - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The former #2 pick was active for 26 games in Bangkok and put up amazing 8ppg and 5reb stats. Ugh.
Unsung hero - Khris Middleton. 40 games for the Kok and he averaged 12ppg while shooting 42% from downtown. The Bucks are a mess but this kid might stick in the NBA for a few years. A nice role player for the Kok.
Prized Keeper - MCW for just $15 bucks.

10th place - Seoul Brothers
After winning 3 titles in a row the Seoul squad finished 5th, another 5th, and now 10th this year. What's going on in Little Asia?? Has Woo lost his mojo? Has a full time job affected his analytical abilities? Not enough asian porn?? I'm not sure what happened this season. Now, I do know that having Andre Drummond for $13 dollars in year #3 of this rookie contract is going to do wonders for his building blocks. Woo did exactly what every JBL team should do when faced with the situation - trade Lebron for the best keeper around. Phil realized he wasn't going to win - so he cashed in his best trading chip to ensure future success. I know it must have pained him to essentially hand the title to the Wack - one of his fiercest rivals - but it was the right thing to do. Let's see what a keeper combo of Drummond and Sullinger or DeRozan can do next season.

MVP - Since Lebron was the obvious answer I'll go with Andre Drummond. In his 29 game stint in Seoul the big man averaged 14 and 13 with 32 steals, 34 blocks while shooting 64%. And just think, he's only 21 years old.
LVP - Brandon Jennings. Sure, he averaged 14 and 7 but he shot 37/33 with a high volume. Ugly stuff for the mess in Detroit-city.
Unsung hero - It has to be Jodie Meeks. He averaged 18ppg while shooting 41% from downtown. Nobody, and I mean nobody, predicted those numbers.
Prized Keeper - Yup, Mr. Drummond.

That's all for today...I'll look at 9th to 5th this weekend...stay tuned.

The Look Ahead...

Thought I'd pop in to have a quick look at some of those keepers on each JBL team....

As previously mentioned, French Lick looks to be a lock for 2 keepers. I don't really see much discussion here. It's Jordan and Lillard. Who else could possibly be in the running? And please don't say Nick Young anyone.

What about the darling of the JBL Maui Ribs? He's on pace for a top 4 finish and that means 4 keepers. Obviously Anthony Davis will be back at $25 bucks. It looks like Rookie of the Year candidate Victor Oladipo could be worth the $20 bucks as well. While his percentages (41/32) aren't the best - he is scoring 14ppg and has 99 steals and 36 blocks so far. He'll only get better. One of my personal favorites, Chandler Parsons, should be back at just $14 bucks. He can shoot (49/39). He can score (17ppg). He grabs 6rebs and has decent ATO while also chipping in with 59 steals and 21 blocks. No brainer. I think the 4th keeper for Maui should be Goran Dragic. He's having an amazing season and for just $35 bucks is probably worth it. He's scoring 21ppg while shooting 52/42. Read those shooting %'s again. Awesome stuff. 

Seoul has been discussed in previous posts and it looks like it will be just the 2 keepers for Phil. Drummond and DeRozan appear to be the obvious choices.

Manhattan Beach, our ghost team, will only be able to keep one guy. I would probably go with David Lee for $38 or Kevin Love for $54. 

Bangkok's lone keeper will be Michael Carter-Williams. As previously stated, I am 100% on board with him as a keeper. 

Our most successful expansion team in a long time, Norfolk, looks like he's a look for at least 3 keepers. I really like Isaiah Thomas for $9 dollars. Can you believe he scores over 20ppg?? I also like his Wizard duo (Gortat and Ariza). Both have had very solid years and would be below market value prices if they went back to auction. Another option might be Gerald Green but I think his success this year is more due to the injury to Bledsoe than anything else.

The very quiet Arctic squad looks to be guaranteed at least 2 keepers. Personally, I really like Stephen Curry for $54 bucks. I still think that's undervalued. I also like Bradley Beal at $18 bucks but he didn't break out like I thought he would this season. Is Blake Griffin worth $58?? Probably. But you might as well let him go to Auction for that price. Kenneth Faried could be the 1st rookie to get to his R4 year - but I'm not sure he's worth $21 bucks. And then there's Kobe Bryant for the ripe old price of $33 bucks. Can he return from a year away and put up 20ppg??

Brussels is poised for a top 4 finish and has Nikola Vucevic coming back at $11 bucks. That's a no brainer. The theory of Jimmy Butler for $11 bucks sounds attractive until you see he shoots 39/28. Lance Stephenson for $15 bucks? Ummm, yes please. A sleeper keeper could be Omer Asik's $1 dollar salary if he gets traded this offseason and becomes a starter somewhere next year. He should definitely make the initial cuts when JBL teams cut their rosters to a maximum of 6 players this offseason. Is Brandon Knight worth $17 bucks? Or the bigger question might be can he do it again next season?

What about Chilliwack? Does he bring back Durant and Lebron? I like Kevin Martin and his scoring and shooting for $10 bucks. I'm not sure there are many other bargains on this roster but that's the way it should be when you're gunning for a JBL title. You win and worry about next season later.

The middle of the pack Idaho squad will have a rebuilt Derrick Rose coming back. I remember last year all the fuss and stink raised about allowing Rose to be protected for $8 bucks. Not hearing much now since the kid has blown his knees out a couple of times. Will he have an impact next year at all? Idaho will pair Rose with Rajon Rondo. The rebuilding Celtics will have to make a decision on whether to keep him or sell high on him. No matter where he plays, Idaho will be looking at Rondo and his $23 dollar salary as a bargain. Taj Gibson and his $9 dollar keeper salary could get a boost if the Bulls amnesty Mr. Boozer. James Harden will finally be set free from Idaho's grasp and goes back to Auction this fall. 

Juan de Fuca appears destined for another runner-up finish and will get 4 keepers again. He has the young Trey Burke for just $7 bucks. Kemba Walker for $18 would still be a bargain. I hate to say it but Carmelo for just $47 bucks is undervalued. Arron Afflalo for $12 bucks is also a good price. Juan has some middle priced players he could bring back too (Thaddeus, West, Klay). Juan appears to be well stocked for next season.

Golden appears to be on the bubble of 3 or 4 keepers. I think, because of the injuries, that I will get just 3 keeper spots. I've held onto Nerlens Noel all season and he will be back for $7 bucks. I'm hoping he can block a lot of shots next season. I'm leaning towards keeping Kyle Lowry for $22 bucks right now. It depends on what Toronto does with him this offseason. I actually like Robin Lopez for $11 bucks as well. He's not flashy but he's serviceable and has great year (and 97 blocks so far). Another Blazer, Wesley Matthews, is on my radar but he's really faded down the stretch here and $17 bucks is probably not worth it. I'm also intrigued by Eric Bledsoe's game. I need to see him healthy though to find out if he's worth $30+ bucks.

And poor old Montreal won't have any keepers and will have to start fresh for next season...

It's March and I'm already thinking about next season. So much so that our JBL Auction will be held SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH. Mark your calendars!! Road trip anyone???