Hello all! Welcome to my first ever Draft Recap article. I will be breaking down key picks round by round to try and determine who WON the draft. That is, until some of your players go down with injuries, flame out, date a Kardashian, hit various walls (rookie, sophomore, father time) or get benched with colds so their teams can tank. Can’t Wait!
Round 1
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
Kevin Durant
Karl-Anthony Towns
Steph Curry
John Wall
Giannis Ante “whatever”
Anthony davis
LeBron James
Kawhi Leonard
Chris Paul
Devin Booker
Too High?
I was a bit surprised to see Westbrook and Harden go before Durant. They are safe picks no doubt but with the addition of superstars (Chris Paul to Houston and Paul George to OKC) they are bound to take a hit in some categories. It was not yet known Carmelo would also team up with George and Westbrook which further clouds the situation there. Typically one of the three will lose value (ala Kevin Love in Cleveland or Bosh in Miami). Im guessing its Melo who takes the biggest hit. Our league also includes both turnovers and steals/to ratio which will hurt high turnover players such as the two stylish gentlemen I mentioned above. Westbrook (5.4 per game) Harden (5.7 per game). Yikes! Be prepared to punt that category Armeen and Brent or better hope their new co-stars absorb some of those.
Steal of the Round
I think Anthony Davis could be the biggest steal of the round (health permitting) as he is solid in every category our league plays with except threes. However, is it worth the constant anxiety Brad? Every time he gets a bee sting it’s gonna feel like the whole world is falling apart. Grab some “Just For Men” so you can cover up the grey hairs you’re likely to accrue this season.
Solid Choices
-John Wall: No superstars to share with means lots and lots of stats! Or maybe he will get tired of playing with the knowledge he has no chance of even making the Finals.
-Giannis: Again, he’s all alone and can hog the stats like a fat kid who gets locked in a Safeway.
-Kawhi Leonard: Rudy Gay? Please, you know who to pass the ball too. Now be a good boy and go stand in the corner like Pop told you too. Leonard is the man here and gets a major upgrade with our league scoring categories.
Reach of the Round
Scott don’t get me wrong I LOVE Devin Booker! He practically won me the title last season with his 70-point game during championship week, but that was before we switched categories. Not only does Booker not get steals (0.6, 0.9) the last two seasons, but he also turns it over (3.1 per game). Plus he jacks up a lot of shots and well... misses them (42%). But hey I salute you for the massive pelotas you showed to take him here. And I honestly think he could be the next Kobe, so maybe I’ll be eating my words by seasons end.
Honorable Mentions
-Hey no Kyrie so why can’t LeBron average a double-double until Isaiah Thomas comes back from injury.
-Steph Curry: We dropped three-point percentage from last season so his value drops slightly, but he is as safe as they come. Plus he will give you a monopoly on the 3-point category. Add another solid 3-point shooter and it will be like having a hotel on your boardwalk property.
-Kat: It’s not sexy and it remains to be seen what the addition of Jimmy Butler means for his value. The big man usually takes the hit when you have three stars (Bosh, Love). However, I wouldn’t consider Wiggins a star yet, he needs Jimmy to teach him there are other things he can do on the court besides scoring.
Chris Paul: Normally I love this pic, but... 32 years old, injury history, new team with another ball dominant guard. I don’t really know what to expect here to be honest. My gut says no, but my gut also tells me that eating the entire tub of ice cream is a fantastic idea so… mint chip it is.
