Week 1 Observations

• Arctic off to a rough start. Having Harden shoot 24% and 12% at his high volume never helps. Meanwhile, Westbrook has actually been very good.
• Arctic does have a few players who are clinging to their JBL jobs after slow starts. I’m talking about you Malik Monk, Justin Holiday, and Trevor Ariza
• Has the Arctic turned Mr. Wiggins into a player? 25 points on Sunday on 50/40? 
• The Year of the Kok has started is off to a good start. Mitchell, Jokic, Siakam and Myles have all been very good. It looks like he’s found a potential gem in Coby White. 
• Jrue Holiday has surely been a disappointment considering his slow start and now some sort of knee injury
• And Zach Collins will never live up to Kok’s lofty expectations I’m afraid. And now a shoulder injury. Kok will be sad. 
• The Ham N Eggers (which is now one of my favourite all time JBL names by the way) must be over the moon with Goran Dragic’s production so far. Sell high time? Or ride him out?’
• Dennis Smith Jr. doesn’t appear to be JBL worthy let alone NBA worthy. Fizdale just doesn’t play him. 
• Lebron looks fresh and springy
• Bellingham needs to take advantage of that extra bench spot he’s carrying as his bench is loaded with the Mash unit. That said, he must retain Klay and Wall for next season (or at least one of them) to make this year all worth it.
• Patrick Beverley is so fun to watch. Like a dog on a bone. He doesn’t score much but man he help in the other categories.
• PJ Washington sure did work out well. Somehow he was missed by many teams in our JBL rookie draft. 
• Taurean Prince has been a pleasant surprise for Brussels 
• Brussels has several ‘watch’ players on his roster right now. Can he get Rondo, Thybulle, or Giles into his lineup at some point if they become fantasy worthy. It’s a waiting game. We just won’t know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08jw37WwBlA

• Danny Green has been fantastic to start the season in Cali
• Cali is definitely going to finish last in scoring. However, he could finish 1st in both FG% and 3PT%
• Drummond’s been very good this week while Gobert has not. 
• Cali could really use Cauley-Stein and Oladipo sooner rather than later
• Cali did really well in week 1 considering half of the starters come off the bench for their NBA teams
• KAT is the #1 fantasy player after the first week…man, he’s been good. Of course, coming into Sunday he was shooting 60/61 so those will obviously come down
• The Wack is loving his Big 3 and improved his depth by signing Kaminsky and Moe Harkless. Good pickups in my eyes.
• Justise Winslow has been very good to start the season
• Frank the Tank earned his way back onto a JBL roster
• Dillon Brooks is jekyl and hyde. One day good, one day bad
• French must be excited to start this season. He’s not in 1st place. First time since about November 2018 we can say that. Most of this roster has underachieved to this point, so watch out when they get cooking
• Golden is shy on big men - cause Alex Len and Jakob Poeltl suck
• Otto Porter looks like a huge bust and SGA looks like he'll be a fantastic keeper
• Montrezl Harrell is fun to watch. 
• Golden spending $33 on Kendrick Nunn is his largest winning FA win in franchise history. Golden’s best FA signing was Whiteside for $1 all those years ago.
• Idaho off to a hot start without Blake, PG13, and suddenly Ayton
• Idaho also has a number of overachievers in that Brandon Ingram won’t shoot 53/53, RJ Barrett won’t shoot 51/54 and Kevin Knox won’t shoot 50/64. We can expect those %’s to level off in the coming weeks
• I think Markelle Fultz will actually be a player. His shot looks better and I think Idaho has found a gem here for $5 bucks. 
• Juan must be loving Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick Rose. 
• Marc Gasol off to a slow start. He’s probably still hungover from his summer partying.
• Giannis for $74 looking like great value.
• Juan’s pick of Rui Hachimura in the rookie draft is looking like steal
• Coby White and PJ Washington not getting picked in the rookie draft looks like highway robbery
• Maui’s Mike Conley off to a horrible shooting start. We know that will come up in the coming weeks. 
• The Marvin Bagley injury really hurts - both the Kings and the Ribs
• Lonzo’s shot form is much improved over last season. His %’s are the same, but at least his shot looks better
• Luke Kennard has been impressive in Detroit.
• Imagine if Drummond opts out at the end of the season and leaves Detroit.That’s going to be a really bad team.
• Norfolk did well landing Kelly Oubre for $10 bucks. He’s on fire
• Trae Young is reminding me of Harden. He dribbles over centre and then shoots some crazy shots. Don’t know if I love that style of play.
• Norfolk has done very well considering he’s played with Jimmy Butler this week
• Seoul just scores and scores and scores…..
• Is Tristan Thompson actually good now? Off to a roaring start
• Dejounte Murray looks healthy and looks really good. 
• Rudy Gay always goes for $1 and is always undervalued. A good 5th forward on any JBL roster
• Isaiah Thomas looked good in his first game back. He could help out the Jizz.
• The Warriors are a bad team. They have Steph, D-Russ and Draymond. That’s it. The rest of the team is not good. Can I change my vote, I don’t see how this team makes the playoffs in the West.

The 29th JBL Auction

What a night boys!  We completed the draft in 3.5 hours with only one little hiccup along the way. Very impressive.

This was a very interesting draft as the big names didn’t go as high as I thought they would. Then we saw a dip in prices for a bit and then we saw some massive prices again as the ‘best of the rest’ was drying up. As always, the final 40 picks or so were all value picks and there could be some bargains in there for the teams.

So, I thought I would go through some observations of what I saw throughout the night…

First off, there were a number of injured guys that were auctioned off quite early in the draft. Durant was brought up in the first round I think and he went for $21 bucks. John Wall went for $4 bucks, Oladipo for $20, Nurkic for $6, and Klay Thompson for $15. Because they were all drafted at Auction, all of these players are eligible for protection next season. Before this draft started I thought it would be wise for any team without any keepers to grab one of these players in hopes of building a long term contender. Bellingham must have read my mind as he ended up with Wall and Klay as potential keepers for next season. And Vancouver also grabbed KD so I give them big props for going this route. Of course, one big name injured player didn’t get drafted - DeMarcus Cousins. That means if he’s signed as a JBL Free Agent he must play 20 NBA games in order to be eligible for protection. So….that’s not happening. Anyways, these could be great keepers for these teams next year or they could also be fantastic trading chips for those teams that fade away from the title race in Jan/Feb and want to stock up for 20/21.

Let’s quickly look at the draft, team by team.

Arctic

Already loaded with big name players when this draft started and having only $107 bucks to fill out a roster made the evening very difficult. Of course, we also saw Arctic ‘go dark’ (aka Auto Pilot) in the latter half of the draft. Not sure his auto-drafter really did him any favours, but I guess you can consider Jackson and Portis as helpful roster players. I would expect Arctic to be very busy when Free Agency opens up later this week. Crikker added Paul George and Jamal Murray to the squad and now needs to improve his depth on this squad.

Bangkok

The Year of the Kok continues as he had a very solid draft and added some big names in Nikola Jokic and Jrue Holiday to an already impressive roster. His late round flyers on Coby White, Jerami Grant, and Osman were all very good pickups and all 3 of those players could see time in the Kok roster this season. Good draft for the Kok as he attempts to play with the big boys this season. He’s off to a good start with his trade of Zion; now a solid draft; and now let’s see how he manages this squad throughout the season. Dare I see this ‘deep Kok’ team is a money contender already?

Bellingham

Expansion Todd was drafting from his phone in Seattle so that always makes things difficult. I consider it a successful draft because he landed Klay Thompson and John Wall. No expansion team is ever going to compete for a JBL title in their 1st year because the top teams from the year before all have multiple keepers. However, if Ham N Eggers can finish high enough in the standings and get to keep a couple of players - look out. It’s a marathon, not a spring. I like the cornerstone pieces in Lillard and Lebron and I was bidding against Todd for Thomas Bryant’s services late in the draft. The 1st year JBL owner is in for a long season, but I think he’s done well to land 2 potential keepers for next season.

Brussels

Timmy took this draft very seriously and he will certainly improve on his 11th place finish from last season. It certainly appeared Brussels had the same study-guide to the draft as he out-bid me on Adams, Aldridge, Horford, J-Rich, Looney and DeRozan. I also like a couple of the flyers Brussels took on Thybulle and PJ Washington. This is a good team and can be a dangerous squad in 19/20. I’ll admit, it’s been awhile since I wrote that about a Brussels squad. 

Cali

I’m not sure if the return to the JBL went as they planned, but Cali has the twin-towers (Gobert and Drummond) in the middle - and then a bunch of other guys. By their own admission, this squad is not going to score a lot of points. They did the right thing and landed Oladipo as a potential keeper for next season. However, they also did the cardinal No-No and left money on the table. Cali only spent $241. The JBL is hard enough, but it’s even harder when you don’t use all the money available. Believe me, I know. I like the Satoransky, Ingles, and Danny Green picks. This could be a challenging first year back for this group.

Chilliwack

The Wack came into this draft already loaded with KAT, Adebayo and Morant. He quickly added Steph Curry and Anthony Davis to the squad. That’s some top end talent right there. The role players will need to be sorted out if they want to reach their potential though. A lot of question marks in Kris Dunn, Markieff Morris and Dwight Howard. This squad also has Dillon Brooks, George Hill and James Johnson so we will have to see if they are able to be fantasy relevant again. However, that’s what the waiver wire is for and I’m sure the Wack will be busy. This is a contender folks so look out. Could Chilliwack claim another title? He’s off to a good start.

French Lick

The defending champs are back in the hunt again. A very well balanced draft with his highest priced player being the mercurial Whiteside at $41 dollars. This is team is loaded from 1 to 15 with 3 bench players that would probably be starting on many other JBL rosters. Even in the event of an injury, French has the depth to carry on. This squad is a title contender. Can French go back-to-back and make it 4 titles in 5 years. He’s got a great chance and he’ll love watching as he has 3 Celtics on this year’s squad. Winning and watching your favourite team/players. A job well done. 

Golden

Typical Golden draft where I had way too much money for way too long in the draft. I ultimately landed the guys I wanted but at prices much higher than I thought would be needed. Although I will say I was not planning on getting Kyrie or VanVleet - it kind of just worked out that way and I’m happy to have them. I also landed a Blazer. Finally. Albeit the injured Nurkic who I can stash away for next season. And even though they aren’t brothers - I’m happy to have the Bridges brothers. I believe Golden will be in the hunt again. I like the squad and even though my draft didn’t go as planned, if I end up challenging for a 12th JBL title then I’ve had a good year. 

Idaho

Oh Idaho. I know for certain you did not go into this draft hoping to land Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Andrew Wiggins and Eric Gordon. Sometimes pushing the bid up can backfire. I almost feel like an Idaho draft review is completely unnecessary as we all know that the Idaho roster right now will not look anything like the Idaho roster come Christmas time. Wheeler dealer Tuna will be on his way here shortly. Expect a massive influx of emails to your Inbox. New guys - get ready for the offers. Get ready for his unique sales pitch that throws logic out the window and begs you ignore numbers or analytics. Be prepared to learn how average NBA role players could potentially average Oscar Robertson like numbers this season. Idaho is what makes the JBL so great. Carry on kid. Do your stuff. 

Juan de Fuca

As the draft chat room mentioned several times, Juan must be loving that he has Giannis for just $74 dollars. Add in his boy Kawhi for $52 and this squad could be one to watch in 19/20.  There are a few players here with question marks (Payton, Powell, Hardaway Jr) and Juan needs then to perform at a high level. The Toronto boys have 2 Raptors - always a requirement. I like the flyer Juan took on Michael Porter Jr. Now let’s see if Denver plays him. 

Maui

The Ribs had a good draft and grabbed some quality players. Kemba, Conley and Capela are all really good. Sure, Maui overpaid for Capela but he needed the rebounds and blocks. I really liked the late round pick ups of Bertans and Kennard. This squad actually does a little bit of everything and can be a contender if a few things go their way. Sneeky good squad here. 

Norfolk

The good Doctor takes the award for Draft Night dedication in that he skipped out on a wedding in Toronto to attend Chez Kok to do the draft in person. Well done Norfolk. The Doctor has paired his keeper Beal with Jimmy Buckets and also paid big bucks for Rubio.  I do like the late picks of Oubre and McGee as well as my fan favourite Nickeil Alexander-Walker.  Norfolk is coming off a 5th place finish. What’s in store for this team this season?

Seoul

If the JBL was just a points league, Seoul wins. Everyone on his team can score. The question is…what else do they do really well? Seoul begins the campaign without his prized acquisition (Zion) but he does have his boy KYLE to cheer on. I like the Gallinari and Valanciunas picks (as long as they stay healthy). Seoul is a deep team as well and opens with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Evan Fournier on the bench. Let’s see how this big scoring team does this season.

Vancouver

The Jizzlies made the big decision this past week to drop their 2 keepers and their rookie and start from scratch. I applaud the decision. I also commend them for landing KD for $21 bucks. He could be the key to Vancouver’s long term success in the JBL. It’s all about having great keepers and building a winner around them. This team does have very good players in Embiid, Vucevic, Draymond, and Booker. Some good role players in Favors and Dejounte Murray are also here. And finally I liked the late round picks of Rudy Gay $1 and Dario Saric for $3. Vancouver finished 9th last season so we’ll see how they do this season. As long as they end up in a spot where they can keep KD for next season then I would consider the year a success. 

So, here are my top 5 contenders after the draft.

French Lick, Golden, Bangkok, Chilliwack, Maui

That’s it for now boys. The season starts Tuesday night. Have those FA bids in by Friday evening (before 11pm PST). Best of luck to all. 

Appetizers

Well, with the 29th JBL Auction just 9 days away I thought I would share my thoughts on what I've seen in the NBA preseason. Without further ado...

Houston will score a lot of points thanks to The Beard. With Harden and Westy already in Arctic – how many more Rockets actually end up on a JBL roster is interesting. Capela will obviously be a big dollar ticket. Eric Gordon? Probably. But after that? I’m not sure how many more Rockets are JBL worthy.

  Chris Clemons is a straight jacker. Kid’s not shy. Might fit in Houston just fine when Harden’s on the bench. He’s the 3rd all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. He’s also NOT 5’9 that he says he is!

  Looks like Siakam is ready for another step up. Bangkok must be thrilled.

  Chris Boucher, a good Canadian kid, was very impressive in the first pre-season game with the
Raptors. Can he carve out a role?

  Defense is clearly optional in some of these games

  KAT put up a monster line in limited minutes. Benny is excited

  Ben Simmons hit a 3 pointer. I’m surprised we didn’t hear more from Idaho about this
accomplishment. Maybe Tuna is worried about Ben taking multiple 3’s per game and going 3 for
42 from downtown.

  Because I was in the UK last year, I had never seen Trae Young play. He’s impressive. Very quick.
I like that Hawks team. In a couple of years they could be very good.

  The Pelicans will be everyone’s League Pass favourite this season. Zion is a beast. He’s built like a
tank. They are a very deep team so it might be difficult to figure out who is going to play off their bench? What is Josh Hart’s role? E’twaun Moore’s role? Nickeil Alexander-Walker? A lot of interesting wing players to choose from.

  Who is this Chris Silva in Miami?

  Goran Dragic looks old and slow. Oh wait, he is.

  Tyler Herro looks like he’s ready to play. Right now. Will Spoelstra give him the chance?

  DeAndre Ayton put up big numbers in 21 minutes against KAT.

  Tony Bradley can play – he just won’t in Utah because he’s behind Rudy Gobert. Two nice games
from Tony.

  Hornets or Wizards? Who will be the worst team? Both look devoid of Fantasy talents – which
usually means there are a couple of guys who will have monster years because there is literally
no one else on the team. For the Hornets – who is going to score? Has to be Rozier right?

  Denver is too deep. They could roll out 12 guys every night. Bit of a fantasy buzzkill.

  Are DeMarre Carroll and Jae Crowder the same person? Crowder looks like he could be the
starter in Memphis at SF. Didn’t think he’d ever be a starter again – but someone has to score
for this Memphis team. After JJJ, Jonas and Morant is he the #4 scorer?

  Who will be the SG in Memphis? Is it really Dillon Brooks? Hasn’t the coach seen him play?
Maybe Grayson Allen steals the spot? Allen looks decent thru 2 games against non-NBA
opponents.

  Wait. The Bulls are still giving Kris Dunn a chance? You draft White at #7 and then spend 30
million on Satoransky. So, of course, let Dunn play. They have to be show-casing him for a potential deal. Praying and hoping he does well so some desperate team will make them an offer. Dunn playing any PG minutes is just not right.

  Christiano Felicio is a NBA player. Please, someone look at this man. How did he get a 4 year/32 million dollar NBA contract? Please, someone explain this to me.

  Watching Coby White play – I think he could be good and those who were picking late in our JBL rookie draft may regret not taking a flyer on him.

  The Lopez brothers together on the same team and on the floor at the same time just makes me happy.

  Steven Adams looked like he was playing in the over 45 Kits Basketball league. He looked scraggly and old; wearing a T-Shirt under his jersey; wearing legging and knee pads; and wearing elbow pads. Dude just looked out of place. That’s why we love him.

  Dragan Bender sighting in Milwaukee. Just move along. Nothing to see here.

  Mo Bamba. Oh my. But where does he get minutes?

  If Christian Wood doesn’t make the Pistons then someone call the police. A crime will have been
committed.

  I believe a Jonathan Isaac breakout is near

  Brandon Ingram does not weigh 150 pounds. He’s stick and bones. Can he survive 82 games and
the pace the Pels are about to run at?

  Could this be the year the Spurs start to fade? I think it’s 22 straight years in the playoffs? Is that
streak in jeopardy? I’m on the fence about how good they are – but I can’t doubt Popovich. So
I’m saying the Spurs will be a playoff team. Oh yeah.

  DeJounte Murray must be excited to finally be back playing. I drafted him last year for $20 and
then he tore his ACL in the pre-season.

  Devin Booker might get some more open shots if Ayton is going to be a monster and with Rubio
pulling the strings. Did Phoenix really run with Elie Okobo, De’Anthony Melton and Tyler Johnson as their point guards last year?? Yeah, I’m boldly predicting some bigger stats for Booker, Ayton and others this season. Shocker.

  The Blazers looked out of sorts last night. I think they will miss Harkless and Aminu – even though both of them didn’t put up great fantasy numbers – I think they were decent NBA’ers. Not sure about Hood/Bazemore and others.

  Are the Celti

cs actually going to be good?

  Boban played 31 minutes last night! Is that a real thing? Boban and Porzingis out there together.
Would that be the tallest combo in the NBA?

  Rajon Rondo played 34 minutes and Derrick Rose played 31 minutes. Both appear to have roles
with their teams. Rose I figured as much but Rondo, geesh. And Rondo just did it again vs. a
Kyrie-less Nets team. Is it 2019 or 2013 Rondo?

  AD had 22 and 10 in 18 minutes? Yikes. It’s been 7 years since the JBL saw a $100 dollar player.
Could this be the year?

  Jordan Clarkson showed his coach – hey, don’t just give the keys to the SexLand backcourt duo
(Collin Sexton + Darius Garland = Sexland). He actually looked decent.

  Andre Drummond took a couple 3 pointers. It did not go well. If he’s jacking those, that’s a big
negative.

  Detroit is really just Griffin and Drummond. Without those 2 guys, I’m not sure how many games
the Pistons win.

  The Jarrett Allen & DeAndre Jordan center combo could put up monster numbers. Could they
both average a double-double?

  Ummm, Taj Gibson? One of the Knicks 6 power forwards lit it up. Your guess is as good as mine which of these guys are going to play on a nightly basis. Have to figure all of them will have big nights at some point. Seems like Randle and Bobby Portis will be guys they will lean on for frontcourt scoring. 

  Can’t wait to see Marcus Morris play in San Antonio. Remember the Spurs signed him to a 2 year 20 million dollar deal. However, the Spurs needed to make some cap room so they traded Davis Bertans away and then re-structured DeMarre Carroll’s deal. Once they did that, Morris said screw you and signed a 1 year 15 million dollar deal in New York. Dickhead.

  Isn’t LeBron poised for a big year? Guy had been to 8 or 9 straight NBA finals and must have been exhausted. In 2019, he missed a tonne of games, got shut down at the end of the season, and has been resting and recovering for 6 months. Now he has Anthony Davis as a wing man...how can he not be ready for a monster season?

Top Keepers 2019/20

Thought I would write up who I think the top 10 current keepers are in the JBL. I’m going to exclude the rookies from 2019 at this point until we see how they all pan out. So, what’s my criteria? I’m looking at guys that are obviously under-valued compared to what they would go for in our Auction. I’m also factoring in guys who can also be long term keepers. So someone in Year 2 of a rookie deal might be more valuable than someone on an expiring deal and is going back to Auction next season. (IE. 2 years of De’Aaron Fox or 1 final year of Kristaps Porzingis). 

Maybe this list will spark some trade talks. Maybe it will give you a sense of who I find valuable in the JBL. Who knows. Anyways. On I go.  Let’s count it down from #10 to #1….

#10 – De’Aaron Fox $14 (Golden)

Golden brings back the curly-haired kid for his 2^nd season. With a new coach in Sacramento who wants to play faster, Golden is hoping for more improvements from Swipa the Fox. Can he approach 20ppg? Big steals contributor. Good value for Golden.

#9 – Ben Simmons $27 (Idaho)

Simmons is a top end JBL talent. He’s worth way more than this at Auction. He’s in year 4 of his rookie contract so Idaho has him for 2 more seasons (this and 1 more). He’s a 6-category man and definitely a top 15 talent. So, that tells you how much more I like the guys coming up.

#8 – Pascal Siakam $9 (Bangkok)

Pascal is the now the face of the Raptors. His numbers should go up and he could be a 7-category producer. He’s 1/3 of the price of Simmons and still has 2 years on his contract. Bangkok is hoping for big things from the centerpiece of the Zion trade.

#7 – Trae Young $14 (Norfolk)

The long term potential of this kid is trending in the right direction. Could he average 25ppg this season? Maybe. He’ll help your ATO and could really impact the 3PT% category if he gets more consistency. Biggest factor for his ranking is another 4 years on his contract. Great value over the next few years. A cornerstone of the Norfolk franchise.

#6 – Luca Doncic $17 (Brussels)

Love this kid. Fantastic in 4 categories but needs to improve those %’s. His rookie year numbers rivaled MJ’s so the potential for stardom is great. Another 4 years in Brussels I’m sure. Superstar potential in my books.

#5 – Bam Adebayo $15 (Chilliwack)

Benny had a party when Whiteside was traded to Portland. The ‘Free Bam’ chants finally worked. The big fella manning the middle in Miami is likely a 6 category stud with 3 years left on his contract. Should be a double-double machine this season and could approach the famed ‘triple-triple’ (100 steals, 100 blocks). I have high expectations for Bam.

#4 – Jaren Jackson Jr. $15 (Brussels)

The prize acquisition in Brussels last season. His potential is off the charts. Many see a Defensive Player of the Year in his future. He could be a 6 category player this season and has another 4 years on his contract. Bookend building block with Doncic for Team Brussels.

#3 – Mitchell Robinson $8 (French Lick)

This kid is a stud in the making. A shot-blocking extraordinaire. He’s a 4-cat stud right now but plays for Fizdale and the Knicks who have umpteen Power Forwards and big men and that does cause me some concern. That said, he’s got 4 years left on his rookie contract and is only $8 bucks this season. Defensive dynamo!

#2 – DeAndre Ayton $20 (Idaho)

Last year’s #1 pick had a quietly spectacular first NBA season. With a new coach in town, Ayton is projected for big things in 19/20. Could be average 20 and 10? He’s a potential 5 category stud and he’s on the books for another 4 years. Big time cornerstone piece. 

#1 – Karl-Anthony Towns $35 (Chilliwack)

Maybe a controversial choice here because he’s in the 5^th and final year of his contract. However, I think KAT could be the #1 fantasy player and whatever we see Giannis and AD go for at Auction – that’s what KAT is worth and more. So, we’re likely looking at least $85+ dollars – so KAT is HUGE savings at just a $35 dollar salary. He’s a 6 category monster who doesn’t miss any games. He’s the #1 keeper going into the 19/20 season.  

JBL Power Rankings - Pre-Season Edition

JBL Power Rankings – 2019 Pre-Season

With the JBL Auction less than 3 weeks away and the NBA pre-season beginning, I thought it was a good time to look at the JBL rosters and see who is in the best shape heading into the 19/20 JBL season. 

Obviously, those established teams with as many as 5 players (4 keepers and 1 rookie) will likely be rated higher than those teams with less players. For a team like French Lick, the defending Champ, who has won 3 of the last 4 titles and who has 5 players coming back (33% of his roster is already set) – they are going to be very highly rated. 

So, with that said, let me dive right in. Here are your Power Rankings in 3 distinct tiers (A, B, C).

Grade A teams: French Lick, Chilliwack, Idaho

French Lick
As mentioned above, French Lick is the envy of the JBL these days. 3 titles in the last 4 seasons. A loaded roster coming back for the 19/20 season. He’s got Mitchell Robinson as a cornerstone piece to this franchise for many years to come. He’s got 4 keepers who would all go for much more at Auction so he’s got ‘value’ on his side already. And for French, a known Celtic lover, he’s got his boy Tatum on the cheap as well. Nothing better than winning fantasy pools while having guys from your favourite team on board. This team is already well balanced but you know Hildy will be looking for ATO during the Auction as he’s light in ATO right now. All that being said, this French Lick squad is once again the favourite to win it all in 2019/20. The rest of us all have our work cut out to knock him off his pedestal.

Chilliwack

It’s been 6 years since the Wack won his last JBL title, but this year’s squad is poised to make a run. He’s got Towns and Adebayo at huge discounts and was lucky enough to nab the #2 rookie pick and selected potential superstar Ja Morant with his pick. The Wack knows how to JBL, no doubt about it. This 4-time champ will be well prepared come Auction night and I expect him to be laser focused on building a title contender. This is KAT’s last year before he goes back to Auction so Benny needs to make sure he takes full advantage of his discounted price. This Wack team could be knocking on French’s door if he drafts right. Of course, the 5 year trend in the Wack has not been very good. But, because Benny is a former champ, member of the Elite Champions Club, my best mate, I’m excited to see if he can win another title and catch Mr. Woo for 2^nd place all time.

Idaho

Yet again, Idaho has proclaimed this is the year that he takes home the JBL Title. He’s getting closer every season. Last year he was 2^nd. Year before that he was 3^rd. So he’s moving in the right direction. With Ben Simmons and DeAndre Ayton on board, Tuna has 2 massively discounted players on his roster already. They are both studs and the cornerstones of the franchise. He’s also got Kanter and Allen on board for rebounds. I’m sure Idaho was disappointed to see DeAndre Jordan land in Brooklyn as it takes the shine off Allen’s potential breakout season. Nevertheless, Allen has value and with Kanter’s boards as well this is a very BIG roster to start the Auction. Adding the #3 rookie pick RJ Barrett to the fold completes the big 5 for Idaho going into the season. Barrett is a complete wildcard in my book. There will be nights where he goes off and there will be nights where he looks lost. Regardless, Idaho is poised to make a run at his 1^st ever JBL title. To join the elite JBL Champions Club would be a very rare feat indeed. Can he do it? Can Idaho actually do it?

Grade B teams:  Bangkok, Norfolk, Juan de Fuca, Maui, Golden, Brussels

Bangkok

We all know about Bangkok’s big offseason move to trade Zion to Seoul for 3 established players and the #4 rookie pick. What could have been a lengthy rebuild towards chasing a title in a year or two has been accelerated into ‘win-now’ mode in Bangkok. With Mitchell, Siakam, and Turner on board, the Kok already has some seriously category builds going on. Adding in a rookie like Hunter, who should play right away, fits the build for Bangkok to compete this season. Knowing that the good Doctor is not going to be ordering the Kok around his own house also gives me belief that Rick can focus on the draft and not on getting another scotch and some peanuts for his house guests. The Kok has a similar build to French so far and needs to get himself some ATO at Auction. Will Rick look to go big and acquire a big name or will he build around a bunch of mid-tier players? There are a lot of options here for Rick and I’m excited to see what the Kok does if he’s a contending team. 

Norfolk

The good Doctor will apparently be drafting from a wedding venue in Toronto on the night of the draft. Hopefully he’s able to find someone to bring him his scotch on demand like he did when drafting at the Kok’s house. This is year #7 for Norfolk and he’s coming of best ever 5^th place finish. On top of that, he’s bringing back 3 excellent players in Bradley Beal, Trae Young and Domantas Sabonis. It’s very well balanced 3-some and he’s added a potential gem in Jaxson Hayes. He could be the Pelicans starting Center in the very near future. The key for Norfolk will obviously be the draft and if he’s able to spend the time needed while he’s at this wedding. The Auction is such a massive building block for JBL teams so let’s see if Norfolk can get it all sorted out. With a strong draft, Norfolk could definitely be in the hunt for a money spot this coming season.

Juan de Fuca

Juan is the answer to a great trivia question. Outside of Golden, French, Seoul, and Chilliwack, name the last JBL team to win the title. That’s right, it’s Juan de Fuca, in the 99/00 season. That’s 19 years ago now!! Juan comes into the 19/20 season with a very balanced 5-man roster. He’s got scoring with Lavine and Randle. He’s got ATO with Brogdon and Augustin. He’s got a rookie, Hachimura, who should get a lot of minutes. And he’s got a history of strong performances in the JBL. As you can see from the chart below, he’s got 8 money-spot finishes in the last 15 years. Look for Juan to get some blocks at Auction and as always, look for Juan to get some Raptors on that roster. Juan will be right there contending for a money spot again in 2019/20. Count on it.

Maui

Here come the Ribs. One of the OG’s in the JBL, this is year 29 for Trev and he’s finished in a money-spot in 5 of the last 6 seasons. This year, Maui brings back 4 keepers and 1 rookie as he heads to Auction. How will Porzingis do paired with Doncic in Dallas? This is year 5 for the Unicorn and he’s been a big reason why Maui is a contender in years past. Maui also has holdover rookie picks in Bagley and Isaac on the squad this season. Both of them look ready for bigger roles and could be fantasy darlings this season. Maui also secured Jarrett Culver in this year’s rookie draft and he could be a starter in Minnesota before it’s all said and done.  And Maui will ride Caris LeVert one more season in Brooklyn as well. With KD injured for the season, LeVert could have a nice campaign with Kyrie by his side. Like other squads, Maui is light in ATO and will likely be looking for some point guards at Auction.  With a strong draft, Maui can be shooting for another money finish or maybe even a JBL title.  And as most of you know, if you want a player, best get him at Auction, cause once he’s in Maui, it’s unlikely he’ll be leaving. 

Golden

Johnny is back to chase a 12^th JBL title. The 18/19 JBL season was Golden’s worst finish since the debacle of 2010. I believe that was the Vegas Draft and my attempt at a Gay Love team (Rudy and Kevin). Golden brings back 3 players (Fox, Harrell, and Gilgeous-Alexander) on decent contracts and I’m excited to see SGA in OKC. Picking rookie Brandon Clarke was based solely on people smarter than me saying that he would be a good player in the NBA. Plus, he was born in Vancouver so that gives me 2 Canadians already. Is another Johnny theme team in the works? Golden clearly needs some rebounds at Auction and will be looking to spend all of his Auction money this season (as opposed to years gone by where I’ve left a lot of money on the table). Will Golden be contending for another JBL title? History says yes. 

Brussels

The Muscles rebuild is in full effect. Last season he grabbed Doncic with the 2^nd overall rookie pick. Then he traded for Jaren Jackson Jr to give him 2 stud rookies to build around. Now, in this year’s rookie draft, he may have landed another gem in Darius Garland. Could Brussels be building something big here? It all depends on what Timmy does at Auction. And of course, it also depends on whether he can manage his Free Agent dollars. In year’s past, Brussels is out of money before Christmas and has to ride it out for a few months. Like other teams, ATO and 3PT% will be a priority if he wants to build a balanced team. Word is Brussels is creating his own War Room for the Auction so there are fewer distractions. Could this be the year that Brussels competes for a money spot? It’s been a dark 5 year period for Brussels as you can see. Come on Timmy. I’m cheering for you. 

Grade C teams:  Arctic, Seoul, Vancouver

Arctic

You might think this is a little harsh for Arctic to be here in the ‘C’ category. This ranking is more based on the amount of money Arctic has left for Auction and the unknown on whether Arctic will be making player selections or if he will engage his Auto-Pilot to complete the draft. If I knew for certain that Crikker was going to be drafting his own roster, then I would move them to the ‘B’ list. If he auto-drafts, who knows what this roster will look like when the Auction is over. With Westbrook, Harden and Russell on board already, the Arctic is loaded with scoring. The %’s are going to be an issue but he could work on those depending on who he drafts (or auto-drafts). The biggest issue for the Arctic is having just $107 bucks for 11 players. It’s very do-able, but I would have more faith in this squad if Crikker was behind the wheel instead of Steady Eddy the auto-pilot. 

Seoul

Again, maybe a harsh grade for the 5-time champion but this is more of a product of him having just 1 player to start the Auction. Also, I have to factor in sleep deprivation since Phil is a new Daddy. Will he be able to stay awake for the entire draft? Will he be able to avoid petting Barkley the whole night? Will he stay focused and not play NBA2K? There are a lot of variables to factor in here with Seoul.  I love that Woo traded his entire roster for Zion. That takes balls. I would also wager that Zion doesn’t finish the season in Seoul. Will he be able to build a contender around Zion? He might. Woo’s last 5 years has just one money spot finish. Will his reliance on Tendex rankings bring him back to glory? I love the wildcard that is Philly Woo. 

Vancouver

This will be year #6 for the Jizzlies squad. They are bringing back Kemba and Hardaway Jr while they also added one of my Blazers, Nassir Little, at the rookie draft. I think Kemba will be very good in Boston while I have my doubts about Hardaway in Dallas. The Auction will be key for this franchise and whether they can compete in 19/20. They need good players. Plain and simple. In their short history, it’s been a tough go. Their history looks a lot like the other Vancouver franchise and their short time in the NBA. It only takes a few smart picks and some luck to be right there in the JBL race. Let’s see if this is the year for them to make a move up the standings.

Incomplete Grades – Cali, Bellingham

I love that the JBL has 2 expansion teams. Albeit, Cali does have prior JBL experience from a few years back. It’s always nice to have new owners who are passionate about fantasy hoops. With now 14 JBL franchises, it places extra emphasis on Auction night and ensuring you get a solid roster to start the year. It also gives Idaho two new teams to bombard with trade offers. History shows that expansion teams struggle in the JBL. However, with an Auction draft you can build a roster however you like and with some clever Free Agent signings and shrewd trades, you just never know.  Best of luck to our new expansion friends, I’m excited to have you on board. 

Rookie Rewind 2019

The 2019 Rookie Draft

With the summer dragging on and my Fantasy Football team already 0-2 the focus on the JBL intensified this past week. So much so that teams were dropping players left and right with the hopes of beginning the JBL rookie draft early. Usually we start out Rookie draft around October 1^st but the group this year was super keen on starting early and despite a few mild protests – everyone dropped their final players.

With those final drops completed, we officially opened the 2019/20 JBL season. Again, this is our 29^th year of JBL fantasy hoops.

Let’s have a quick look at the picks…

#1 – Seoul – Zion Williamson

Was there ever a doubt? Seoul goes into the Auction with 1 player and $245 remaining to spend. Woo will build around Zion and try to win another title.

#2 – Chilliwack – Ja Morant

I’m still not sure if this pick is actually staying in Chilliwack or is apart of a bigger trade. Nevertheless, for now, Morant is an Off. This was always going to be the pick at 2. Morant could be very, very good. Chilliwack has 3 players on his roster and $198 left to spend at Auction.

#3 – Idaho – RJ Barrett

Again, the defacto choice all along. Even though we all know the 3^rd pick and/or RJ was offered around the JBL at some point. Idaho has 5 guys on his roster and $176 bucks to spend at Auction.

#4 – Bangkok – De’Andre Hunter

Was this the safe pick? Or was it the right pick? Or was it both? The rumours were Kok was going to take Hunter and it turned out to be the case. Hunter is primed for a starting position and could push for 30 minutes a night. Will he be a superstar? Unlikely. Will he play enough minutes to be fantasy worthy? Yes, I think so.  Bangkok, after the big trade with Seoul, now has 4 players on his roster and still has $201 to spend on Auction night.

#5 – Golden – Brandon Clarke

The first pick to go off-script from the NBA draft. Watching Clarke at Gonzaga this past season got me partially hooked on him. Plus he was born in Vancouver. So add him to SGA and I’m creating my own Team Canada. I like Clarke’s game and hope he can play some minutes off the Memphis bench. And if they get blown out, then more minutes for Clarke.  Golden has 4 players on the roster and $218 to spend at Auction. Of course, will I spend all of it is always the question. Golden is notorious for saving money for players that don't exist.

#6 – Brussels – Darius Garland

Brussels must have liked seeing Garland slip to him at #6. The kid only played 5 college games at Vanderbilt before blowing a knee. Recent videos show he’s bulked up considerably and looks 100%. And man this kid can shoot. This is the big potential player that Brussels was hoping to land. Adding Garland to Doncic and Jackson Jr is a major haul for a rebuilding Brussels squad. Timbo now has 3 players on the roster and still has $221 to spend.

#7 – Norfolk – Jaxson Hayes

Another move off script here. The Doctor aiming for the high ceiling that Hayes brings to the table. Love his potential but will he play much this season in New Orleans? Guess we’ll find out. Norfolk has 4 players on his roster and still has $171 to spend.

#8 – Arctic – Sekou Doumbouya

This was a big home run swing here by the Arctic. Not much is known about Doumbouya. Some have compared his potential to the Greak Freek. Could you imagine. Not sure if Doumbouya will spend more time with the Pistons or in the G-League. But hey, why not take a swing. If you don’t like him, drop him. Arctic has 4 players on the roster and just $107 bucks left to spend. Keeping those high-priced keepers has always been the Arctic’s play.

#9 – Vancouver – Nassir Little

If you thought the Sekou Doumbouya pick was a big swing, this is a monstrous swing for the fences. Little was rated very highly coming into his freshman season at North Carolina. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a great college season. That said, he was projected to go in the lottery but for some reason slipped to the Blazers at #25. Being a Blazers fan, I love the pick for them. Many scouts still feel Little could be a star in the NBA. I don’t expect to see him play much for a Blazers team that was in the Western Conference Finals last year and whose coach only played rookies (Simons and Trent) 20 and 15 games respectively last season. Classic draft and stash here.  Vancouver now has 3 players on the roster and still has $206 to spend at Auction.

#10 – Maui – Jarrett Culver

Maui’s draft strategy over the years is pretty simple. Take the highest remaining available rookie. NBA teams employ smart people to make the best picks, so for Maui to take the #6 pick in this draft with the 10^th JBL pick was a no-brainer. As mentioned, I think Culver could start eventually for the Wolves. Safe pick here by Maui.  The Ribs now have 5 players and still have $203 to spend at Auction.

#11 – Juan de Fuca – Rui Hachimura

Another good pick here in the sense that Hachimura should see lots of minutes with the Wizards this season. Who are the other forwards? Davis Bertans? Troy Brown? CJ Miles? Umm, yeah, Hachimura should play. Juan has 5 players on the roster and $186 to spend on Auction night.

#12 – French Lick – Goga Bitadze

I’d like to say this is a surprising pick by French but I know the methods to his madness and predicted this pick. Goga should see time as the first big off the bench in Indiana. He’s ready to play and could put up decent numbers for the defending champ. There is a reason that French has won 3 of 4 – he follows the numbers. French has 5 players and $204 still to spend. 

#13 – Bellingham – Cam Reddish

The 1^st ever pick in Bellingham has a chance to see a lot of minutes for a young Hawks team. Cam can play multiple positions and if he can figure out his shooting could make an impact this coming season. Bellingham has Cam and $259 to spend on Auction night.

#14 – Cali – Cameron Johnson

Much like the Suns, Cali reaches for Mr. Johnson. At this stage of the game, why not swing for the fences. Cali goes into Auction with Johnson and $259 bucks to spend.

So, there you have it Gents, the 2019 JBL rookie draft. Surprises? For sure. Coby White, who the Bulls took at #7, didn’t get picked. I find that a bid odd. Maybe it was my harsh review of his summer league play? We saw lots of guys that were not drafted in the top 14 picks in the NBA draft get taken in ours. Doumbouya (15), Bitadze (18), Clarke (21) and Little (25) all found their way into the top 14 of the JBL draft. I think there could be a poll here for the JBL site to keep things interesting…

And finally, here is the breakdown of what each team needs (# of players) and how much they have to spend in the October 19^th JBL Auction. 

Team Players to Draft Money to Spend

Arctic 11 $107

Bangkok 11 $201

Bellingham 14 $259

Brussels 12 $221

Cali 14 $259

Chilliwack 12 $198

French Lick 10 $204

Golden 11 $218

Idaho 10 $176

Juan de Fuca 10 $186

Maui 10 $203

Norfolk 11 $171

Seoul 14 $245

Vancouver 12 $206