Well the first week of our annual fantasy league on NBA.com got off to a controversial start. The Full Roster Rule (AKA Charlie’s Rule) didn’t start out well as the commissioner was not able to enforce the rule as it was worded. This is leading to a possible redesign of the rule (more on that when it happens). Here is a recap of what happened.
The Legends- HoopStar (1-0) beat True Boilermaker (0-1) (this is where the controversy started when Mike Conley failed to log a singe minute). Boilermaker had a pretty good showing even with two of his stars (Wade and Artest) riding the bench. KG was studly.
Charlie’s Team (1-0) beat PirateMD (0-1) thanks to a crazy stat line from Kobe and Big Z. JJ Redick killed PirateMD’s chance of winning by putting up a lot of goose eggs.
SuperStars- Brewtown Bucks (1-0) dominated Caston Crap (0-1) with a huge defensive line thanks to Marcus Camby (18RPG and 5BPG).
Elite Force (1-0) was able to hang on over Phat Daddys (0-1) even though they got handicapped by starting an ineligible roster. Even with Boozer being forced to pine in accordance to Charlie’s Rule, the team was able to hold on.
All-Stars- Jamm Time (1-0) posted the highest score of the week by destroying and injury depleted CryBabies (0-1).
Team Sean Bower (1-0) got things rolling in a win over Popigh Rebelion (0-1) with Tayshaun Prince having a career game.
Shooting Stars- Big Al & Co. were able to hold on The Undefeatables with the emergence of Chris Wilcox and Marvin Williams.
Side School Nets fell victim to Bull Sharks due to a poor showing from Mo Williams.
You’ve got your “bluechip” picks who you can count on to bring home the bacon for your team night in and night out. Combine these with your sleeper picks and hopefully your team will clobber its opposition. I now want to discuss another kind of pick in the draft. I call these players high risk/reward picks. They’re not sleepers in the sense that you can expect them to post the numbers that will give a significant impact to your team’s overall production, however, these guys do come with risks attached. History of injuries or uncertainty of their potential games played (GP) and/or playing time due to other factors keep them from being considered bluechip players. I’ve made some recommendations as to what round I feel the rewards are worth the risks in terms drafting these guys. These rounds are based on a 12-man league and are applicable to both rotisserie and head-to-head formats.
Yao Ming - Here’s a first pick that makes me cringe at the thought that, based on history, will not play 82 games for my team. If healthy, he would definitely give Amare Stoudemire a run for his money as the BEST center in the NBA. He rebounds a similar number of boards and has the capability to score as much as Amare, but Yao has more blocks and actually does something no other center in the NBA can do - which is lift your team’s FT% through his high number of attempts (8.6) at the line at an awesome percentage of 86.2%! Take note that centers are notorious for pulling down a team’s FT%. The problem is, he’s missed 59 games in the past two seasons which averages out to roughly 50 GPs per season which can be devastating to teams, especially those in head-to-head leagues! In a couple of “practice” drafts, I’ve seen him get passed over for lower ranked players and even saw him drop as low as an early second round pick. Clearly, there are a lot of players who are wary to call Yao their primary C. So you can see how picking him can be a risky draft day decision.
ROUND to Pick: Very late 1st round or early 2nd round
Marcus Camby - Playfully teased as “Cotton Camby” by previously burned and disgruntled fantasy owners, Marcus is truly a high risk/reward player. He’s managed to play an average of 55 games through the course of his 11-year NBA career. This injury-prone all-star caliber center was the hands down NBA shot block leader last season in spite of missing 12 games! Just take a quick look at the “goods” he delivered last season: 3.3 BLKS, 1.2 STLS, 11.7 REBS, all at a very efficient 1.7 TOs per game. How many players were capable of finishing the season at Y! Rank 8 while playing only 70 games? He just proved that he can really rack up the center stats and anchor your team in those categories. Was last year’s 70 game performance a fluke? I guess you will have to ask yourself that question come draft day. . .
ROUND to Pick: 2nd
Baron Davis - He’s the poster boy for fragile point guards out there. He keeps you on the seat of your pants as he produces solid PG numbers while giving you nail-biting anxiety as you wonder when he’ll go down with an injury. If last year’s playoff performance is any indication as to how he’ll perform this season, then you’ve got yourself a 2nd-round quality guard! The Warriors have opted to wait out this season before offering Baron a contract extension (Read more). Jeez! If his own team is THAT concerned with his health, then as a fantasy manager you should be too. There is, however, another side to this coin. Baron, will now more than ever, be motivated to stay healthy and produce awesome numbers. His performance this season will be his bargaining chip for his dealings with GS or any other team that may be interested in his services.
ROUND to Pick: 3rd
As many of you know, I play an online MMORPG game called Cyberdunk. The gist of it (for those of you who haven’t heard about it yet) is that you get a player that is unskilled and a rookie and you pay for training while trying to get contracts and help a team win. There are literally billions of players from all over the world.
My team the Chicago Stags have been a roller coaster ride lately. Last season we made a strong push and ended in the top 15 in the Silver League. This season we set our sights on being the top4 so we could move up to the coveted Golden League (the top league in the USA). We are currently in 8th place and are 2 wins behind where we want to be. It seems like we play really strong for a few games and then we drop one that we should have won. Most of the teams we play have a higher skill rating, but we have developed a strong team chemistry. So much so that many of our players have offered to take a pay cut so we can help our team’s budget.
Our best scorer is our PF Bonafide Wit (he is leading the Silver Division in scoring and in assists). We also boast the #3 scorer in the division with our PG Fatty Lumpkin. Our deep threat is our owner SG Ries Waters. We are a little weak at C, but Ben Oden is staying active and getting better now that he has learned to make money through betting. And our 6th man is SF/PF The Goat.
That brings us to me, our SF HoopStar Basketball. HoopStar stays in about the top 30 in every category in league. He averages 15ppg, 4apg, 1.2spg, .7bpg, 6.6rpg, 60% FG, 33% 3pt, 67% FT for this season. I enjoy this stat line cuz it has a little bit of everything. In real life I am known more for my offensive (and play very little D), so in virtual reality I can do a little bit of everything to help our team win.
So if you have a little free time and want to spend it on something basketball related, sign up for Cyberdunk. When you sign up, post a link to your player’s information so I can see where you are at. Enjoy this clip from the creators of Cyberdunk.
It’s time for the final draft review for the Official HoopStar Fantasy Basketball League hosted by NBA.com.
Before I get into the final division here are the links to the other 3 divisions that I made predictions for in case you missed them: Div. 4 ShootingStars, Div.3 AllStars, Div.2 SuperStars. Just a reminder that we use a promotional system where the best team in each division moves up and the worst teams move down. The top 2 teams in each division are invited to the end of season tournament.
Without further ado, here are some insights on the Legends. HoopStar Basketball (my team) is the defending champs. I was very active in the offseason to improve my draft picks (even though I had to give up some studs to my competition). True Boilermaker is always a threat since he will make a lot of moves in the season (even though he had one of the most questionable drafts this season). Charlie’s Team and PirateMD always seem one big win away from challenge the league for supremacy.
Charlie’s Team- This team has the guard positions on lock with keepers in Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Even though CP3 season ended early with having some screws inserted, I think he has another solid season. He could push for a share of the steals and assist title if Peja comes back healthy. Kobe can single handedly win the ppg section. My only concern with Kobe is his trade demands. I think he will either play out of the world to improve his trading power, or could pull a Scottie Pippen if an injury sidelines him.
Keeper Grade: A
Charlie was able to take advantage of our online draft for the most part, but since he had given up his first pick for the rights of Paul, he wasn’t able to draft another stud to help anchor his team. This move may hurt some this season, but having Paul and Kobe should provide to be a good move for the long term. Rd2.7 Tyson Chandler, Rd3.10 Al Harrington, Rd4.7 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Rd5.10 Darko Milicic, Rd6.7 Jarrett Jack, Rd7.10 Jason Williams, Rd8.7 Vladimir Radmanovic, Rd9.3 Jamaal Magloire, Rd9.10 Glen Davis. I’m not a huge Chandler fan even with his huge rebounds (his FT% and lack of points hurt a lot). I liked the Jarrett Jack grab (which he later dropped) and the Glen Davis pick. The other guys are a bunch of underachievers that have potential, but haven’t shown signs of reaching it anytime soon.
Overall Draft Grade: C- Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
PirateMD- This team seemed to lose by the smallest margin last year. You could never chalk up a win even when this team was struggling. With Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire as keepers, this team touches every category except for steals. The only problems I have with these keepers are the they play on the same team and their production involves the other one. If Nash goes down then Amare will lose out on a faster paced game and easy dunks in transition. If Amare’s knee acts up, then Nash doesn’t have a legit post presence that he can bail out to when he drives.
Keeper Grade: A-
With Nash and Amare already anchoring this team, PirateMD could leave his options open in the draft. Even though he wasn’t able to make the draft (I don’t see how med school or the fiancée could have gotten in the way), he lucked out with some pretty good picks. Rd1.9 Antawn Jamison, Rd2.8 Josh Howard, Rd3.9 Raymond Felton, Rd4.8 Chris Kaman, Rd5.9 Andrew Bynum, Rd6.8 Boris Diaw, Rd7.9 Hakim Warrick, Rd8.8 Jeff Foster, Rd9.9 Nick Young. I can’t believe Josh Howard slipped that far. I think Felton, Kaman, and Diaw (if the Marion trade happens) could all have break out seasons. I’m not high on the Warrick and Foster picks, but Nick Young could be good down the stretch.
Overall Draft Grade: A Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
True Boilermaker- Oh yes on to my nemeses. This team is owned by my younger brother. Each year he makes a serious push for the title. Last season he saw his hopes go down the drain with DWade was injured. His title quest became even more meaningless when KG sat out when the Wolves were trying to tank the season. Well he decided to keep Kevin Garnett even with the move to Boston and decided to take a chance on DWade even after having gone through major surgery. To me both these keepers are in a brand new situation. They have been studs in the past, but I’m not sold on whether they can repeat past performances, let alone have the chance to be better than last season.
Keeper Grade: B+
This owner can to the draft without any preparation at all. He decided to wing it and it showed. He by far had one of the most questionable drafts in HoopStar history. Rd1.11 Zach Randolph, Rd2.6 Richard Hamilton, Rd3.11 Mike Conley Jr., Rd4.6 Kenyon Martin, Rd5.11 Shaquille O’Neal, Rd6.6 Al Horford, Rd7.11 Elton Brand, Rd.8.6 Earl Boykins, Rd9.11 Chris Webber. The only good pick I see is Conley Jr. (and maybe Horford). Randolph is on a new team and has an identical player already sharing his soft role (Eddy Curry). Rip went early and offers little besides FT% (unless we had a most 15-footers made category). Kenyon Martin…are you serious???? IN THE FOURTH???? He most likely would have been there in the 9th. Shaq must have magically learned to shoot Free-Throws. Elton Brand is out for most of the season (and with the Clippers not looking good, they won’t rush to get him back).
Overall Draft Grade: F- Predicted Division Finish: 4th
HoopStar Basketball- I hate doing a review of my team because I have certain strategy in my picks and in my roster. So this one will be brief but accurate. I was able to make some moves early and late (getting an injured Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, getting Randolph at a bargain, drafting Brandon Roy, and getting rid of CP3 at the end) in the season that paid off dearly and made my title run possible. As a result I have Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki as keepers. Dirk is a good yen to Lebron’s yang (bad FT% and TOs).
Keeper Grade: A
I was able to improve my draft picks by making trades before the draft. I sent CP3 and Pao Gasol away in order to move up in the draft. I hated making my competition stronger in the long run, but I could only keep 2 players and Lebron and Dirk made more sense. Rd1.3 Caron Butler, Rd1.10 Brandon Roy, Rd2.2 Mehmet Okur, Rd2.14 Ricky Davis, Rd3.3 Andrei Kirilenko, Rd4.14 Peja Stojakovic, Rd5.3 Marco Belinelli, Rd6.14 Luis Scola, Rd7.3 Jeff Green. I used my first pick on the best player available (Caron) instead of needs since Lebron is already anchoring my UTL spot. I liked having Roy last season and his numbers should improve with Greg Oden out. I like Okur’s offensive numbers but it does hurt my defensive stats not to have a blocking big man. I should have added assists at the Ricky Davis spot. With my starters set I used risky picks that could pay off huge. Peja and AK47 could return to fantasy domination this season (especially if Kirilenko goes to Phoenix). Coach Nelson seems to love Belinelli and all the starters in the Warriors system do very well. Scola and Green could see an immediate impact this season since they have little competition for their jobs.
Overall Draft Grade: A- Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Well there they are folks. A complete ranking on each division. The trade market is starting to come alive as teams start tweaking rosters for the season to start. Feel free to stop in and see who is doing well. I will post a weekly update on standings and transactions as the league starts its games.
Well we are getting close to a complete league review. This session is about our SuperStar Division. I think this division will prove to be one of the toughest for seasons to come because some owners will try everything in an effort to move on up to the top division. I think teams will be made or broken when they are here.
This year’s SuperStar Division has some very tough teams. The Brewtown Bucks just barely missed the playoffs last year and were awarded the top pick in the draft this year. Caston Crap was dominating the top division last year until injuries to Yao Ming and Rashard Lewis derailed his season. Phat Daddies dominated the lower division (even with the Carmelo suspension) after a phenomenal draft. And Elite force barely made the playoffs last year while in the top division.
Brewtown Bucks- This team was very active last season. While it barely missed the playoffs, this team had a vision for the future. It traded away the rights to Ray Allen and Allen Iverson to a playoff bound team for the rights to an injured Gilbert Arenas. He then acquired Josh Smith in the Expansion Draft. Agent Zero has been able to dominate the fantasy scene when healthy. Josh Smith does a little bit of everything and puts up big men stats (along with a crappy FT%) from the SF position.
Keeper Grade: A
This team was awarded the first pick for this year’s draft. Immediately you could see that the owner was going to gold or get last. Here are the results: Rd1.1 Marcus Camby, Rd2.16 Ben Gordon, Rd3.1 Danny Granger, Rd4.16 Andres Nocioni, Rd5.1 Richard Jefferson, Rd6.16 Derek Fisher, Rd7.1 Troy Murphy, Rd8.16 Juan Dixon, Rd9.1 Desmond Mason. This team has been accused of being a homer in the past (and for the Bucks of all teams), but this year managed only 1 Buck on the roster. Camby is the ultimate high risk, high reward player. If he manages a repeat of last season he was a steal. I like all of the picks except for Murphy, Dixon, and Mason. Juan Dixon is by boy (Go Maryland), but he doesn’t do anything on the fantasy scene. If Jermaine gets traded then I’d be higher on Murphy.
Overall Draft Grade: B Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Caston Crap- This team was a beast until the midway point last season. Everyone else was playing for second until the injury bug bit. Well the manager decided to keep faith in Yao and put him on the keeper list. He was also able to select All World fantasy star Shawn Marion. I was going to give this team an A in keepers until the latest trade rumors involving the Matrix. If he goes to any other team than the Suns, I think it will be a major blow to his fantasy value.
Keeper Grade: B
This owner was not able to attend the draft due to not having the net after his recent change in real life coaching venue. So as a result his draft was hot and cold. Rd1.4 Chauncey Billups, Rd2.13 Tony Parker, Rd3.4 Jason Terry, Rd4.13 Shane Battier, Rd5.4 Kyle Korver, Rd6.13 Sam Cassell, Rd7.4 Mike Dunleavy, Rd8.13 Alonzo Mourning, Rd9.4 Paul Millsap. Too many PG’s taken early. I like Billups and Parker, but no need to take Terry. Korver, Cassell, and Dunleavy were wasted picks. Zo is an okay back up, should Shaq get injured the same time as Ming, the this was a steal. I like Millsap and would like to see him get more burn on another team (maybe he will be included in the Marion deals).
Overall Draft Grade: C- Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
Elite Force- This owner always seems to make trades that absolutely boggle my mind. At one time last season he owned Dirk, then owned KG. At the end of the season he owned neither. While he still had a solid season these moves didn’t help him this season. He finished by electing to keep Tracy McGrady and Carlos Boozer over Andre Iguodala. I don’t see the logic in this unless he has a crystal ball saying Iggy will get hurt.
Keeper Grade: D+
The draft didn’t seem to make more sense. Not only are the keepers a bunch of injury question marks, his draft picks were too. Rd1.2 Baron Davis, Rd2.15 Andre Miller, Rd3.2 Corey Maggette, Rd4.15 David Lee, Rd5.2 Jameer Nelson, Rd6.15 Rafer Alston, Rd7.2 Tyrus Thomas, Rd8.15 Adam Morrison, Rd 9.2 Jorge Garbajosa. My calculations have 9 injury/bench risks on this team. B-Diddy, Maggette, and Garbajosa have major injury labels attached. Lee, Alston, Thomas, and Morrison may all see the pine a lot this year. Looking back, this team selected Adam Morrison last year in the 2nd or 3rd round, either he has faith or just likes Morrison.
Overall Draft Grade: D- Predicted Division Finish: 4th
Phat Daddies- This team was loaded with talent after a strong draft last season. Tim Duncan, Melo, CP3, Joe Johnson, and Gasol. Gasol and CP3 were traded away when they became injured. Phat Daddies went big and kept Melo and Timmy. Both of these players are solid and seem to compliment each other well. This team would have been a lot better though if they had kept CP3 and Gasol on the roster for the playoffs, but the other two are solid backups.
Keeper Grade: B
With the SF and PF positions on lock (barring anymore brawls or referee distractions), this team needed guard and center play in the draft strategy. So he achieved this by drafting: Rd1.12 Lamar Odom, Rd2.5 Ron Artest, Rd3.12 Rajon Rondo, Rd4.5 Nenad Krstic, Rd5.12 Chucky Atkins, Rd6.5 Brevin Knight, Rd7.12 Tim Thomas, Rd8.5 Trevor Ariza, Rd9.12 Marcus Williams. As you can see they decided not to stick with the draft needs and instead took the best players available. Odom and Artest are risks not needed on this team. Only one is going to get to play in the UTL while the other has to wait for an injury to help. Rondo should be a solid source of assists this season. I personally like Krstic, but would have drafted a backup early in case his knee doesn’t hold up. I think Atkins and Knight will do well in their new teams. I also think Ariza could rise as Orlando’s third option this year. Marcus will only make an impact if Kidd gets traded or hurt. I like the players taken, but too many PGs and not enough C.
Overall Draft Grade- B- Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
That’s 3 divisions down and 1 to go. Next up The Legends Division.
It’s time for our second entry concerning the recent draft for the HoopStar Basketball Fantasy League. Last time I discussed the ShootingStars, now we look at a couple of teams that competed last year.
The biggest change in this division was that 2 inactive owners were given pink slips while 2 new fresh faces were given the rights to take over the teams. Bebe’s Kids became known as Jamm Time, and B-Dub became known as Popigh Rebellion.
These teams all finished near the bottom of the league last year. Each team was given the choice to keep 2 players from original roster or give up the player(s) for a spot in the expansion draft. Jamm Time was the only one that exercised the option to start fresh and take part in the Expansion Draft.
Jamm Time- This team decided not to exercise the keeper options on any of its previous players that included Jermaine O’neal, Baron Davis, and Mike Miller. Jason Kidd and Ray Allen were selected in the Expansion Draft. These players were certainly an upgrade from the previous roster. Kidd is a multi-cat monster and Allen can carry a team in 3pt made and FT%.
Keeper Grade: B-
This team seemingly did not do due their homework before the draft. After having received multiple lists on players already taken in the expansion draft and keepers, this team tried to draft several unavailable players. The end result was a form of chaos. Their draft included: Rd1.5 Jermaine O’neal, Rd2.12 Manu Ginobili, Rd3.5 Samuel Dalembert, Rd4.12 Stephon Marbury, Rd5.5 Josh Childress, Rd6.12 Jamaal Tinsley, Rd7.5 Anthony Parker, Rd 8.12 Zaza Pachulia, Rd9.5 Chuck Hayes. There’s not much to like here except for O’neal and Ginobili. Marbury’s best days are behind him and Childress will never be the same again. I do like the Zaza pick, but really don’t like the Tinsley, Dalembert, and Hayes pick.
Overall Draft Grade: D+ Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
Popigh Rebellion- This owner decided to build his team around Deron Williams and Michael Redd. I like Williams as I think he will get better this year. However, Redd is very one dimensional. He is a great shooter, but that is it.
Keeper Grade: C-
This team had a draft strategy right from the beginning while participating in the online draft. Picks included: Rd1.7 Kevin Durant, Rd2.10 LaMarcus Aldridge, Rd3.7 Eddy Curry, Rd4.10 Charlie Willanueva, Rd5.7 Jamal Crawford, Rd6.10 Daniel Gibson, Rd7.7 Gerald Green, Rd8.10 Channing Frye, Rd9.7 Morris Peterson. This team decided to draft very young and inexperienced. The question on where Durant would go was solved very quickly. While this strategy may not lead to a lot of W’s this season, it may pay off very strong in upgrading his keepers for next season.
Overall Draft Grade: C- Predicted Division Finish: 4th
Cry Babies- This team made a series of questionable moves during last season, especially the decision to trade away LeBron James. However, the team obviously had a plan as it secured 2 of the elite young big men of the game in Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. While both of these players have weaknesses, they are young and could become studs that will anchor this team for a long time.
Keeper Grade: B
This owner was not able to attend the draft but was able to submit a predraft ranking list. Here are the results: Rd1.8 Loul Deng, Rd2.9 Mike Bibby, Rd3.8 Monta Ellis, Rd4.9 Corey Brewer, Rd5.8 Raja Bell, Rd6.9 Devin Harris, Rd7.8 Yi Jianlian, Rd8.9 Bobby Simmons, Rd9.8 Shareef Abdur-Rahim. I like several of these picks. I was surprised to see Deng and Bibby slip this far, but the Cry Babies made great grabs. Monta Ellis is a solid pick especially when Baron Davis goes down. I thought Brewer and Yi were reaches. The Bobby Simmons pick was very valuable. A good blend of proven players and young players.
Overall Draft Grade: B+ Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Desert Geckos (A Name Change is Coming)- This team switched ownership on draft night. The new owner had no control of its keepers as they were already declared. Paul Pierce and Gerald Wallace will anchor this team. I’m not a big Pierce fan without seeing how the Boston experiment will work. Gerald Wallace is a good multi-cat contributor although he will see a hit in his ppg.
Keeper Grade: B-
As previously stated, this owner took over the team on draft night. He had no draft preparation and you could tell in the spuratic picking. I like some of the players picked, but not as early as they were picked. Rd1.6 Kirk Hinrich, Rd2.11 Andrew Bogut, Rd3.6 Acie Law IV, Rd4.11 Tayshaun Prince, Rd5.6 Drew Gooden, Rd6.11 Walter Herrmann, Rd7.6 Jerry Stackhouse, Rd8.11 Josh Boone, Rd9.6 Rashad McCants. Hinrich is solid but could have gotten better players at that pick. Bogut has done nothing to make him worthy of that pick. Acie Law IV was a sleeper on my board, but not in the 3rd round. I really like the Herrmann and McCants picks but hate the Stackhouse and Boone picks.
Overall Draft Grade: D- Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
I like the Cry Babies to win the division. My only worry is that the owner becomes absent at times and this will cost the team some wins. I really think that the owner of Popigh Rebellion has put his team in a good position for the long haul. If Durant meets his expectations then this team will be a force even this year. I think overall what sets this division apart is that only one team has great big men play (Cry Babies).
Up next will be the SuperStars Division (This division will likely be the most competitive this year).
My first draft review will be on Division 4 Shooting Stars (We keep a ranking system with Div.1 Legends, Div.2 SuperStars, Div3. AllStars, Div4. ShootingStars. The best team in each division moves up and the worst moves down at the end of the season). This division is comprised of new teams to the the league. Since we have a 2 keepers policy, these teams also participated in an “Expansion Draft” and then the “Regular Draft” once they selected their keepers.
The teams in this division are: School Side Nets, Bull Sharks, Big Al & Co., and The Undefeatables.
School Side Nets- this team was able to draft Vince Carter and Allen Iverson in the Expansion Draft. I’m not a real big fan of these players because they are going past their prime and are one major injury away from retirement.
Expansion Draft Grade C-
This team elected not to make it to our live online draft so they sent a draft order ranking sheet and received the following picks: Rd1.16 David West, Rd2.1 Kevin Martin, Rd3.16 Andris Biedrins, Rd4.1 Brad Miller, Rd5.16 Jose Calderon, Rd6.1 Nene Hilario, Rd7.16 Nick Collison, Rd8.1 Luke Walton, Rd 9.16 Tony Allen. I really like the West pick (as long as Peja don’t come strong). I’m not a fan of Brad Miller, he played so bad last year that he was on the free agent list. I think Calderon and Nene could be great additions after having strong summers. This team will struggle in assists, TO, FT%, and blocks.
Overall Draft Grade: D+ Predicted Division Finish: 4th
The Undefeatables- this team had a great first round expansion pick in Andre Iguodala but blew it with the second choice on Emeka Okafor. Okafor is too much of an injury case and isn’t the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd option on the team.
Expansion Draft Grade: C+
The Undefeatables owner was able to make most of the draft and was able to hand pick his team. He picked: Rd1.13 Mike Miller, Rd2.4 Mo Williams, Rd3.13 TJ Ford, Rd4.4 Stephen Jackson, Rd5.13 Al Thornton, Rd6.4 Delonte West, Rd7.13 JR Smith, Rd8.4 Matt Carroll, Rd9.13 Mickael Pietrus. This team was very hot and cold in the draft. I either loved or hated the picks. Mike Miller went way to high. Mo Williams, Al Thornton, Delonte West and Mickael Pietrus are very good picks. JR Smith would be a very solid SG if Iverson gets hurt. Why draft TJ Ford when you just got Mo Williams? This team is lacking size (Jackson is playing PF until Thornton comes around), rebs, FT%, and PPG.
Overall Draft Grade C+ Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
Bull Sharks- This team owner was very active and took advantage of our rules on trading draft picks in order to improve his keepers right away. He traded his second round draft pick in order to get Pau Gasol to anchor his team. He then continued his positive trend by securing Rashard Lewis in the Expansion Draft.
Expansion Draft Grade: A
The Bull Sharks owner was able to attend the online draft by making it to the commissioner’s draft party. There he picked other owner’s brains while methodically making picks. The results were: Rd1. 15 Rasheed Wallace, Rd2.2 Rights Traded, Rd3.15 Rudy Gay, Rd4.2 Andrea Bargnani, Rd5.15 Larry Hughes, Rd6.2 Steve Francis, Rd7.15 Joakim Noah, Rd8.2 Kyle Lowry, Rd8.14 (Rights Received From Trade) Kwame Brown, Rd9.15 Ike Diogu. I like the big 3 for this team as they contribute across the board and give the team flexibility. Guard play is weak unless Mike Conley Jr. doesn’t work out. Weaknesses in assists and FG%.
Overall Draft Grade: B+ Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
Big Al & Co.- This team was appropriately named after the owner draft Big Al Jefferson with the first pick in the Expansion Draft. His other expansion pick consisted of Joe Johnson. If Big Al can hold his own in the Western Conference, then this team is off to a great start.
Expansion Draft Grade: A-
This owner could be considered an “expert” since he does write his own fantasy basketball blog. His previous college basketball experience gave him an edge over his opponents on draft night. His picks included: Rd1.14 Jason Richardson, Rd2.3 Leandro Barbosa, Rd3.14 Randy Foye, Rd4.3 Ben Wallace, Rd5.14 Chris Wilcox, Rd6.3 Cuttino Mobley, Rd7.14 Marvin Williams, Rd8.3 Grant Hill, Rd9.14 Speedy Claxton. I loved the Foye pick and I can’t believe he slipped that far. This pick made the team because his assists will help in the UTL spot. Ben Wallace? His days are numbered and he is another one of the those vets one injury away from hanging it up. I also like the Williams and Hills picks as they could pay off as great trade bait later in the season.
Overall Draft Grade A- Predicted Division Finish: 1st
As the teams stand right now I think that the Bull Sharks and Big Al & Co. stands head and shoulders above the rest of the division. These 2 teams look poised to make a playoff run and 1 of them will earn the right to move up a division next season. The question now if who wants it more? Next division review will be on the All-Star Division (3).
I have to admit that I have always liked NBA Live over NBA2K editions. There are 2 main factors in this decision. First and most importantly, I’m an old school Nintendo player. Yeah I believe in the classics. I still own and play NES, Sega, SuperNES, N64, and PS2. I like the oldies and I like to beat a game in a couple of hours instead of 3 months. NBA Live was the only real basketball basketball game back then. There were a few quirks (like MJ being named Roster Guard #23), but it was the best out there.
The second factor is, I’m too cheap to drop $600 on a new system, $90 on a game, and $1000 on a HDTV. My two younger brother both have PS3 and they love it. I do like the wireless internet function and the online game play (When they come over I am addicted to Resistance: Fall of Man and Rainbow Six: Vegas). I think that has more to do with my competitive streak (and I would rather beat a live person than the computer) than it does with amazing new graphics and new gimmicks. I have a hard time spending $2k only to have the system outdated in another year or two (even though I might break down and buy a Wii in the next couple of months).
After watching this clip I can’t wait to hijack my brothers’ PS3 for a weekend and waste time relearning NBA Live. For another good good recap on NBA Live check out this blog entry.
Here are the results for HoopStar Basketball’s 2007 Draft. The draft starts in round 3 because every team gets to keep 2 players from last season. It was held online last night. After a few technical difficulties, the draft went smoothly. Thank you to all the owners that showed up. Click here for a log of the acutal draft. Here are the results:
Round Pick ## Team Name Player Selected
3 1 Brewtown Bucks Marcus Camby - DEN [C] 3 2 Elite Force Baron Davis - GSW [PG] 3 3 HoopStar Basketball Caron Butler - WAS [SF] 3 4 Caston Crap Chauncey Billups - DET [PG] 3 5 Jamm Time Jermaine O’Neal - IND [PF] 3 6 Desert Geckos Kirk Hinrich - CHI [PG, SG] 3 7 Popigh Rebellion Kevin Durant - SEA [SG, SF] 3 8 Cry Babies Luol Deng - CHI [SF, PF] 3 9 PirateMD Antawn Jamison - WAS [PF] 3 10 HoopStar Basketball Brandon Roy - POR [SG] 3 11 True Boilermaker Zach Randolph - NYK [PF] 3 12 Phat Daddys Lamar Odom - LAL [PF] 3 13 The Undefeatables Mike Miller - MEM [SF] 3 14 Big Al & Co. Jason Richardson - CHA [SG, SF] 3 15 Bull Sharks Rasheed Wallace - DET [PF] 3 16 School Side Nets David West - NOH [PF]
4 1 School Side Nets Kevin Martin - SAC [SG] 4 2 HoopStar Basketball Mehmet Okur - UTA [C] 4 3 Big Al & Co. Leandro Barbosa - PHX [PG, SG] 4 4 The Undefeatables Mo Williams - MIL [PG, SG] 4 5 Phat Daddys Ron Artest - SAC [SF] 4 6 True Boilermaker Richard Hamilton - DET [SG] 4 7 Charlie’s Team Tyson Chandler - NOH [C] 4 8 PirateMD Josh Howard - DAL [SF] 4 9 Cry Babies Mike Bibby - SAC [PG] 4 10 Popigh Rebellion LaMarcus Aldridge - POR [C] 4 11 Desert Geckos Andrew Bogut - MIL [C] 4 12 Jamm Time Manu Ginobili - SAS [SG] 4 13 Caston Crap Tony Parker - SAS [PG] 4 14 HoopStar Basketball Ricky Davis - MIN [PG, SG] 4 15 Elite Force Andre Miller - PHI [PG] 4 16 Brewtown Bucks Ben Gordon - CHI [SG]
5 1 Brewtown Bucks Danny Granger - IND [SF] 5 2 Elite Force Corey Maggette - LAC [SF] 5 3 HoopStar Basketball Andrei Kirilenko - UTA [SF] 5 4 Caston Crap Jason Terry - DAL [PG, SG] 5 5 Jamm Time Samuel Dalembert - PHI [C] 5 6 Desert Geckos Acie Law IV - ATL [PG, SG] 5 7 Popigh Rebellion Eddy Curry - NYK [C] 5 8 Cry Babies Monta Ellis - GSW [PG, SG] 5 9 PirateMD Raymond Felton - CHA [PG, SG] 5 10 Charlie’s Team Al Harrington - GSW [SF, PF, C] 5 11 True Boilermaker Mike Conley Jr. - MEM [PG, SG] 5 12 Phat Daddys Rajon Rondo - BOS [PG] 5 13 The Undefeatables T.J. Ford - TOR [PG] 5 14 Big Al & Co. Randy Foye - MIN [PG, SG] 5 15 Bull Sharks Rudy Gay - MEM [SG] 5 16 School Side Nets Andris Biedrins - GSW [C]
6 1 School Side Nets Brad Miller - SAC [C] 6 2 Bull Sharks Andrea Bargnani - TOR [SF, PF] 6 3 Big Al & Co. Ben Wallace - CHI [C] 6 4 The Undefeatables Stephen Jackson - GSW [SG, SF, PF] 6 5 Phat Daddys Nenad Krstic - NJN [C] 6 6 True Boilermaker Kenyon Martin - DEN [PF] 6 7 Charlie’s Team Zydrunas Ilgauskas - CLE [C] 6 8 PirateMD Chris Kaman - LAC [C] 6 9 Cry Babies Corey Brewer - MIN [SF, PF] 6 10 Popigh Rebellion Charlie Villanueva - MIL [PF] 6 11 Desert Geckos Tayshaun Prince - DET [SF] 6 12 Jamm Time Stephon Marbury - NYK [PG] 6 13 Caston Crap Shane Battier - HOU [SF] 6 14 HoopStar Basketball Peja Stojakovic - NOH [SG] 6 15 Elite Force David Lee - NYK [PF] 6 16 Brewtown Bucks Andres Nocioni - CHI [SF, PF]
7 1 Brewtown Bucks Richard Jefferson - NJN [SF] 7 2 Elite Force Jameer Nelson - ORL [PG] 7 3 HoopStar Basketball Marco Belinelli - GSW [PG, SG] 7 4 Caston Crap Kyle Korver - PHI [SF] 7 5 Jamm Time Josh Childress - ATL [SG] 7 6 Desert Geckos Drew Gooden - CLE [PF] 7 7 Popigh Rebellion Jamal Crawford - NYK [SG] 7 8 Cry Babies Raja Bell - PHX [SG] 7 9 PirateMD Andrew Bynum - LAL [C] 7 10 Charlie’s Team Darko Milicic - MEM [PF] 7 11 True Boilermaker Shaquille O’Neal - MIA [C] 7 12 Phat Daddys Chucky Atkins - DEN [PG] 7 13 The Undefeatables Al Thornton - LAC [SF, PF] 7 14 Big Al & Co. Chris Wilcox - SEA [PF] 7 15 Bull Sharks Larry Hughes - CLE [PG, SG] 7 16 School Side Nets Jose Calderon - TOR [PG]
8 1 School Side Nets Nene Hilario - DEN [PF] 8 2 Bull Sharks Steve Francis - HOU [PG, SG] 8 3 Big Al & Co. Cuttino Mobley - LAC [PG, SG] 8 4 The Undefeatables Delonte West - SEA [PG, SG] 8 5 Phat Daddys Brevin Knight - LAC [PG] 8 6 True Boilermaker Al Horford - ATL [PF, C] 8 7 Charlie’s Team Jarrett Jack - POR [PG, SG] 8 8 PirateMD Boris Diaw - PHX [SF, PF] 8 9 Cry Babies Devin Harris - DAL [PG, SG] 8 10 Popigh Rebellion Daniel Gibson - CLE [PG, SG] 8 11 Desert Geckos Walter Herrmann - CHA [SF, PF] 8 12 Jamm Time Jamaal Tinsley - IND [PG] 8 13 Caston Crap Sam Cassell - LAC [PG] 8 14 HoopStar Basketball Luis Scola - HOU [SF, PF] 8 15 Elite Force Rafer Alston - HOU [PG] 8 16 Brewtown Bucks Derek Fisher - LAL [PG, SG]
9 1 Brewtown Bucks Troy Murphy - IND [PF, C] 9 2 Elite Force Tyrus Thomas - CHI [SF, PF] 9 3 HoopStar Basketball Jeff Green - SEA [SF, PF] 9 4 Caston Crap Mike Dunleavy - IND [SG] 9 5 Jamm Time Anthony Parker - TOR [SG, SF] 9 6 Desert Geckos Jerry Stackhouse - DAL [SG, SF] 9 7 Popigh Rebellion Gerald Green - MIN [SG, SF] 9 8 Cry Babies Yi Jianlian - MIL [PF] 9 9 PirateMD Hakim Warrick - MEM [PF] 9 10 Charlie’s Team Jason Williams - MIA [PG] 9 11 True Boilermaker Elton Brand - LAC [PF] 9 12 Phat Daddys Tim Thomas - LAC [SF] 9 13 The Undefeatables J.R. Smith - DEN [SG] 9 14 Big Al & Co. Marvin Williams - ATL [SF] 9 15 Bull Sharks Joakim Noah - CHI [PF, C] 9 16 School Side Nets Nick Collison - SEA [C]
10 1 School Side Nets Luke Walton - LAL [SF] 10 2 Bull Sharks Kyle Lowry - MEM [PG, SG] 10 3 Big Al & Co. Grant Hill - PHX [SG] 10 4 The Undefeatables Matt Carroll - CHA [SG, SF] 10 5 Phat Daddys Trevor Ariza - ORL [SF] 10 6 True Boilermaker Earl Boykins - MIL [PG] 10 7 Charlie’s Team Vladimir Radmanovic - LAL [PF] 10 8 PirateMD Jeff Foster - IND [C] 10 9 Cry Babies Bobby Simmons - MIL [SG, SF] 10 10 Popigh Rebellion Channing Frye - POR [SF, PF] 10 11 Desert Geckos Josh Boone - NJN [PF, C] 10 12 Jamm Time Zaza Pachulia - ATL [C] 10 13 Caston Crap Alonzo Mourning - MIA [C] 10 14 Bull Sharks Kwame Brown - LAL [C] 10 15 Elite Force Adam Morrison - CHA [SG, SF] 10 16 Brewtown Bucks Juan Dixon - TOR [PG, SG]
11 1 Brewtown Bucks Desmond Mason - MIL [SF] 11 2 Elite Force Jorge Garbajosa - TOR [SF, PF] 11 3 Charlie’s Team Jamaal Magloire - NJN [C] 11 4 Caston Crap Paul Millsap - UTA [SF, PF] 11 5 Jamm Time Chuck Hayes - HOU [PF] 11 6 Desert Geckos Rashad McCants - MIN [PG, SG] 11 7 Popigh Rebellion Morris Peterson - NOH [SG] 11 8 Cry Babies Shareef Abdur-Rahim - SAC [PF, C] 11 9 PirateMD Nick Young - WAS [SG, SF] 11 10 Charlie’s Team Glen Davis - BOS [SF, PF] 11 11 True Boilermaker Chris Webber - DET [PF, C] 11 12 Phat Daddys Marcus Williams - NJN [PG, SG] 11 13 The Undefeatables Mickael Pietrus - GSW [SF] 11 14 Big Al & Co. Speedy Claxton - ATL [PG] 11 15 Bull Sharks Ike Diogu - IND [PF, C] 11 16 School Side Nets Tony Allen - BOS [SG]
I will write a draft review and team grades at a later date. Until then, who do you think the best and worst picks of the draft were?
My 3 votes for best picks are: Kirilenko (5th rd pick 3), Raymond Felton (5th rd pick 9), Randy Foye (5th rd pick 13)
My 3 votes for worst picks are: Richard Hamilton (4th rd pick 6), Kenyon Martin (6th rd pick 6), Josh Childress (7th rd pick 5).