2022-2023 NBA Salary Cap Draft - First Annual Battle for the Wikkid Cup (1 Viewer)

[dawgtrails]

Also - when I start typing in fantrax, it autofills to our 2016 back to the future WIS draft. Damn, that is fun to look at.

moops finished in a strong 2nd.

Good to see some names I haven't seen in a while. @jfranco77 and @rodg12 and @Northern Voice and the ultimate loser of that year @Greco

 

[Kev4029]

9th place - @Jayrod - 6.30 average rank

Voting: 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 13

Top players: James Harden, Jalen Green, Mikal Bridges, Lauri Markkanen, Bam Adebayo, Nicolas Claxton, Jalen Suggs, Chris Duarte

Current FanTrax Ranking - 6th place, 78 points

May the Lord bless whoever gave me the 13. The Harden pick sunk me and I knew I was in trouble in this when he got hurt. He was already playing better than last year, but a wear & tear injury on his foot is ungood.

Had I gone Curry/Adebayo/Bridges, the rest of my team would have looked much different, but I think I could have had a shot at the top spot.

As you can see, that was me...

A few reasons:

• I don't believe in James Harden as the driver of good offense in 2022 against good defenses. This fake league is full of good defenses.
• The three point shooting is very poor around Harden (everybody missed this in grading your team, IMO). Green is a good shooter, not a great one in 2022. Mikal makes them but never takes them, Bam can't shoot, Markkanen is fine for PF but historically looks like he can make more than he does, the bench can't shoot at all.
• The bench doesn't really complement the starting unit very well. I like Claxton, Duarte is fine, Carter has a specific role, the rest aren't really worth minutes. Suggs does give you an out there - he might be a real NBA player this year. The only kinda two way player on the bench is Claxton and MAYBE Duarte (him being out for the next two months or whatever isn't helping your cause, not that I knew that a week ago).
• Harden is awful defensively, and the idea of Bam and Bridges cleaning up some of that is a bit true, but Markkanen and Green are not great defense fits, even recognizing that Markkanen is probably more adequate than most give him credit for. Two awful defenders and a very mediocre one are going to get fuuuucking blasted in this league. And while Bam is a very good defender, he is not an especially great rim defender.
• The team is going to really rely on Jevon Carter to defend any quick PGs, that is going to crush the team offensively.
• Generally, I feel like after picking Harden, you needed to really lean into that pick and you did it with Bam and Mikal and then started going best player available and it just didn't work.

 

[trader jake]

9th place - @Jayrod - 6.30 average rank

Voting: 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 13

Top players: James Harden, Jalen Green, Mikal Bridges, Lauri Markkanen, Bam Adebayo, Nicolas Claxton, Jalen Suggs, Chris Duarte

Current FanTrax Ranking - 6th place, 78 points

Had I gone Curry/Adebayo/Bridges, the rest of my team would have looked much different, but I think I could have had a shot at the top spot.

I typically think of positions based on who a player will guard. Which is partially why building around James Harden can be so difficult. If you're willing to draft/pay him to be the man, that means you're putting the ball in his hands on offense, but you then also then need someone that can defend the 1. Maybe even a bigger wing that can guard the 2, and possibly even a big that can guard the 3 because Harden can "defend up". He's strong and smart, but he's also so damn bad along the perimeter, and the team has to account for that. Your only real chance at a winning defense then is to build one that switches 1-4 (or 5, if possible?).

Which I assume is why you went Bam in the 2nd round? I can see that, but that 2nd round capital and $30mil price tag for a 5 is a tough pill to swallow there. Not bad, but it may have limited your team building possibilities (and upside) right away. Would one of those value picks in the 2nd round have helped more than Bam (and then you could have filled in the 5 much later/cheaper)? Possibly.

I love Bridges. He's an ideal sidekick to play alongside Harden. On offense he's a great shooter, willing cutter, doesn't demand the ball, but can handle the rock enough to be effective. On defense his length and timing disrupt offensive players all the time. I can see him as a 2 for some teams, but with Harden he would slide into his ideal spot at the 3. Again though, that's a lot of cash now thru 3 rounds. I feel Bridges is worth every dime though.

With those three together, I can still see the vision here, but that's a lot of cash outlay and now you need a very specific 1 and 4 to round out the starting lineup. On offense, those teammates better be able to shoot or the spacing Harden needs to drive an efficient offense will grind down. They also better be able to guard down, ideally in that switching defense.

This is where you lose me a bit though. In the next three rounds you spent over $34mil on Jalen Green, Lauri Markkanen, and Nicolas Claxton. Each one of those players has their positive attributes, but none of them are great as switching defenders. Claxton is a decent 5, but it's tough to spend another $8.5 at the 5 after dropping over $30mil on Bam already. At this point I think your defense may be in trouble with Harden, Green, and Markkanen playing big minutes.

Would selecting Marcus Smart instead have made a difference there? Maybe. Or taking Haliburton in the 2nd to play the 1 alongside Harden? In the end I think this team would go on offense as far as Harden takes them, but the same could probably also be said on defense ...which seems problematic. Maybe that's what all this comes down to - how far can The Beard lead a team as it's #1 player? For me, not that far.

 

[Kev4029]

Immediately questioning where I have Dunfee given the scores - maybe underrating Tatum-Garland-Anunoby? Or do others really like Collins/Turner? I have this as among the worst frontcourts in spite of an awesome wing tandem. Interested to hear some thoughts here, maybe learn something.

I think your criticisms are fair - beyond Turner rim defense is going to be an issue, and they mediocre rebounders. Offensively they are going to be incredibly dynamic, and defensively they are going to be good enough to slow down penetration to the point that 2nd unit rim defense matters a little less.

I had Dunfee really high but I do wonder why the theory of Turner is so intriguing to me and a lot of the media, but nobody will trade for him. If he isn't a top 10 defender, the team falls apart a bit.

 

[dunfee555]

Immediately questioning where I have Dunfee given the scores - maybe underrating Tatum-Garland-Anunoby? Or do others really like Collins/Turner? I have this as among the worst frontcourts in spite of an awesome wing tandem. Interested to hear some thoughts here, maybe learn something.

I think your criticisms are fair - beyond Turner rim defense is going to be an issue, and they mediocre rebounders. Offensively they are going to be incredibly dynamic, and defensively they are going to be good enough to slow down penetration to the point that 2nd unit rim defense matters a little less.

I had Dunfee really high but I do wonder why the theory of Turner is so intriguing to me and a lot of the media, but nobody will trade for him. If he isn't a top 10 defender, the team falls apart a bit.

Rebounding is one area that is going to take a team effort since there's not a singular dominant rebounder in the starting five. But Anunoby, Tatum & Collins are average to slightly above average for their positions. And Stewart is a monster rebounder off the bench if we need to get a lift in that area of the game.

Secondary shot blocking is also a bit of a concern, but Collins actually averages over a block a game for his career, so he's not a complete zero as a weak side defender. And Tatum and Anunoby are both excellent wing defenders that will be able to make shots difficult for pretty much anyone they are matched up against.

Turner is a bit of an odd case. By the eye test, a 7-ft center who blocks around 2.5-3 shots a game and shoots 35% from 3 for his career should be one of the most sought after players out there. That player archetype unlocks so many options when building a team since you can provide 5-out spacing on offense while still protecting the rim on defense. But some of the teams that had the best chances to acquire him the last few years have seemed reluctant to pull the trigger to bring him in and I've never been able to figure out why. But in this team construction, his player profile fits perfectly to unlock a devastating offense with viable threats at all 5 spots while being a big deterrent as the last line of defense for anyone that can manage to get by the elite wing defenders on the outside.

 

[scoobus]

11.14 Jabari Walker- $1,017,781

I like his grit.

Played 18 minutes tonight.

 

[Yo Mama]

Shocker to no one: Zach Collins already broke a leg (unless I saw it on one of those new fake Twitter accounts with the $8 check mark.).

 

[Kev4029]

Quarter Season Power Rankings

1 (Initial ranking -1). @Instinctive – I would say Instinctive’s team is looking even better than it did a month ago. Haliburton is in the All-NBA conversation, Mitchell is playing the best ball of his career, Derrick White can’t miss a shot.

2 (2). @scoobus – I feel like there is one missing back court player from competing with Instinctive for #1. There has been some injuries, but nothing sounds major. I think Scoob is a tier above anybody else below.

3 (3). @dunfee555 – Nearly the entire team is having career years – Tatum is a legit MVP candidate, Turner, Vassell, and Stewart are all playing by far their best basketball of their career, OG, Garland, and KCP are all playing at a very high level. The sore thumb is still Collins, who is probably out of the rotation here and the team is probably a shooting PF away from competing with the two above.

4 (4). @trader jake – I still just don’t love the overall fit of Green and Holiday with Jokic but Bane is probably now the second best player on the team (he would have been worth his draft slot here if he made 10x the money) but otherwise, the shooting is looking worse this year from pretty much everybody else across the board (other than McDaniels). The D is capped by Jokic, and the O is capped by a lack of shooting.

5 (unranked). Kev4029 – Cade was struggling a bit before he got hurt but this team still needed him as I didn’t draft much of a backup PG (George Hill is probably maxed out as a 10-12 mpg guy in this format). Still, Giannis is the best player in the NBA, Siakam was playing at a top 10 level before his injury, and most of the rest of the roster has been as advertised (but no better except for Trey Murphy). If TJ Warren can return here in the next week and is at his 2020 level, that may balance out the Cade miss and keep the roster afloat. After the draft I would have had me #2, but things have not gone quite as well as I hoped.

6 (8). @the moops – Gobert and Barrett have been a bit of a disaster but most of the rest of the team is playing probably a little better than expected other than Brook Lopez who is having a career year shooting 40% threes, 50% from the field, blocking 3 shots a game, and the favorite to win DPOY. I think Gobert would be coming off the bench and suddenly a lineup of Morant, Brown (shooting over 40% from 3), SF of choice (Barrett, Wade, Martin), Wood, Lopez has enough 5 (down).

7 (5). @Desert_Power – The good news – Curry was a steal at 15 and playing as well as ever, Poeltl has probably taken a small step forward, PJ Washington is playing better but otherwise things have been a bit of a disaster. Lebron has been hurt and playing the worst basketball since his rookie year, Keldon Johnson doesn’t look great, and Giddey still can’t shoot. We’ll see how the rest of the season plays out, but for now the arrow is pointing down.

8 (7). @Yo Mama – To move up this team needed the high picked young guys to take a step forward and Davis to stay healthy. Davis has done his part but Edwards has stagnated, Barnes has gotten worse, and Wagner is only showing incremental improvement. The PG trio of Brunson, Jones, and Alvarado is showing some improvement that should keep them competitive enough while Yo Mama hopes Edwards and Barnes can turn it on.

9 (6). @Eephus – Towns has been arguably the biggest disappointment in the NBA this year even before he got hurt and most of the rest of the roster has been somewhere between where they were last year and a little below that level without anybody of consequence other than Mobley showing improvement.

10 (9). @nysfl2 – My initial criticisms were fair (the team is all O or all D players) but I discounted the depth a bit and Mathurin is playing like the ROY and actually helping a team win IRL. Shooting has turned out to be a real concern though with Trae playing like total doo-doo. If everybody stays healthy and Trae gets back to previous levels, this team will be top half of the league, I think.

11 (13). @chem X – SGA and Zubac are two fifths of the way to a good starting lineup and Kuzma is looking really good (better if he was making his threes). Overall, other than Ball not playing much yet and Herro not showing much improvement, things are generally looking better than I thought, but I don’t think it matters much.

12 (11). @Frosty – Still not a believer in a team headlined in part by Murray and Sabonis plus the defense isn’t looking any better all the way down the line.

13 (10). @Juxtatarot – A month ago I said this team would be either top 3 or bottom 3 by the end of the season – right now that’s trending toward bottom three unless Leonard can get healthy, Poole can start making shots, and a couple of the bench players step up a bit more.

14 (12). @Jayrod – What I said a month ago: “I mostly like the starting unit, but there is a serious lack of shooting and general competency beyond the starting group.” I think that is showing to be very true and exacerbated by Harden being hurt and not making his threes. The bright spot has been Markkanen looking like an all-star.

15 (14). @Dr. Octopus – Bol Bol! At least a team of Bol, Booker, and Butler looks like a fun time. Timelord will help when he gets back, Paolo still looks like the future superstar of the real draft, but Dragic and Cole Anthony are still a bad pair of PFs and there is really nobody else (other than Booker) who is going to be the lead creator.

 

[Yo Mama]

Quarter Season Power Rankings
5 (unranked). Kev4029 – Cade was struggling a bit before he got hurt but this team still needed him as I didn’t draft much of a backup PG (George Hill is probably maxed out as a 10-12 mpg guy in this format). Still, Giannis is the best player in the NBA, Siakam was playing at a top 10 level before his injury, and most of the rest of the roster has been as advertised (but no better except for Trey Murphy). If TJ Warren can return here in the next week and is at his 2020 level, that may balance out the Cade miss and keep the roster afloat. After the draft I would have had me #2, but things have not gone quite as well as I hoped.

At your current pace (due to injuries and zero depth), if we were having the old sim at the end of the season your team would go on one of those Abe-like 30 game losing streaks due to lack of minutes. You currently have only about 5000 minutes combined for your team compared to the top teams that have over 8000. In the fantasy league, your team is ranked at or around the bottom of every tracked statistical category.

 

[Jayrod]

Quarter Season Power Rankings

14 (12). @Jayrod – What I said a month ago: “I mostly like the starting unit, but there is a serious lack of shooting and general competency beyond the starting group.” I think that is showing to be very true and exacerbated by Harden being hurt and not making his threes. The bright spot has been Markkanen looking like an all-star.

You are way off on my team here.

Bridges and Adebayo are playing their typical hyper-effective offense and All-defensive games plus Jevon Carter having the best season of his life as consistent starter (both in real life and on this team since Harden's absence) shooting 40% from 3 to go with Bridges 44% and Markkanen's 41%.

Off the bench, Nembhard is shooting 42.9% from 3 and Duarte is at 34.2% and Wiggins is at 39.4%.

This team is shooting the ball above average from 3 and is way above average defensively (esp when you include Claxton off the bench as a legit rim protector). All still without Harden really playing.

I don't think the team belongs at the top, but putting them at 2nd from the bottom based off of a "lack of shooting and competency beyond the starting group" is kind of ridiculous.

 

[Yo Mama]

HoopsHype rankings (so far) by salary - link

 

[Yo Mama]

NBA Rising Stars (Rookies and Sophomores) rosters announced today.

Unsurprisingly since rookie contracts are such a valuable commodity, all 21 of the players selected were drafted in our league.

Let’s look at where they landed:

Teams with 3 players
@Yo Mama - Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Jose Alvarado
@Jayrod - Jalen Green, Jeremy Sochan, Andrew Nembhard

Teams with 2 players
@nysfl2 - Benedict Mathurin, Jalen Duren
@Chemical X - Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey
@Frostillicus - Bones Hyland, Alperen Sengun
@Desert_Power - Josh Giddey, AJ Griffin

Teams with 1 player
@Kev4029 - Trey Murphy
@scoobus - Quentin Grimes
@trader jake - Jalen Williams
@dunfee555 - Jabari Smith
@Instinctive - Walker Kessler
@Dr. Octopus - Paolo Banchero
@Eephus - Evan Mobley

Teams with old farts and/or crappy young guys
@the moops
@Juxtatarot

I’ll do a similar look when all star rosters are announced.

 

[the moops]

Teams with old farts and/or crappy young guys
@the moops
@Juxtatarot

Young guys dont win championships

 

[Eephus]

Looks like I won't have to make room in the trophy case for Wikkid's Cup.

 

[Instinctive]

Would any of us have guessed Walker Kessler would be the best pick of the draft? Not me, I say!

 

[Eephus]

Would any of us have guessed Walker Kessler would be the best pick of the draft? Not me, I say!

or Tim Connelly either

 

[GordonGekko]

Would any of us have guessed Walker Kessler would be the best pick of the draft? Not me, I say!

https://forums.footballguys.com/thr...harpe-to-10-day-contract.804716/post-24266682

• Oct 30, 2022

Guys who I project will be trade targets by the deadline. Not that their current teams will move them, but that their combination of salary, cost controlled years/remaining years ( if applicable), baseline skill set, current opportunity, and hopeful production will make them desirable by many to most teams.


1) Walker Kessler, C, Utah Jazz

He's got a pathway to minutes in front of him and he's an extremely good rim protector. High BBIQ, good footwork, understands how to use his size and the space around him. What bodes well for a strong rotation bid this season is his timing. Innately understands where to be and why he needs to be there on defense. Not an elite athlete but maxes his existing tools. Can he space the floor on offense? That's the big question. At this point, the answer is "No", but that's part of what will make him available. Because of rookie slotting, as the 22nd overall pick in the last draft, his cost basis for this season is 2.7 million. In fantasy, he can swing "blocks" for you all on his own. He's the Billy Hamilton of NBA fantasy, if Hamilton could have ever gotten on base on a regular basis.

Scouting Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QAIc52Rjjs

Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqFvMMvj0uo

 

[Yo Mama]

The coaches are stupid and don’t know how to pick all-stars.

My guys Ant, Brunson, and AD were all major snubs.

If you want to make room for these guys, you could take off PG for Edwards, JJJ for AD, and Jrue for Brunson.

Pfft.

 

[Instinctive]

The coaches are stupid and don’t know how to pick all-stars.

My guys Ant, Brunson, and AD were all major snubs.

If you want to make room for these guys, you could take off PG for Edwards, JJJ for AD, and Jrue for Brunson.

Pfft.

I think AD should have made it too. I don't think Brunson should. Ant/PG I could go either way.

 

[Yo Mama]

The coaches are stupid and don’t know how to pick all-stars.

My guys Ant, Brunson, and AD were all major snubs.

If you want to make room for these guys, you could take off PG for Edwards, JJJ for AD, and Jrue for Brunson.

Pfft.

I think AD should have made it too. I don't think Brunson should. Ant/PG I could go either way.

Yeah, the more I looked at Brunson vs the other guys, he was not as big a snub.

Ant beats/matches PG in pretty much every statistical category and has played in 10 more games so far.

 

[Yo Mama]

Undrafted All-Stars

Damian Lillard - $42.4M
De’Aaron Fox - $30.4M
Julius Randle - $23.7M (looks like a bargain now)

 

[gruecd]

The coaches are stupid and don’t know how to pick all-stars.

My guys Ant, Brunson, and AD were all major snubs.

If you want to make room for these guys, you could take off PG for Edwards, JJJ for AD, and Jrue for Brunson.

Pfft.

Take off Jrue for Brunson...

 

[Jayrod]

All-Stars by team (round drafted):

Kev4029 - Giannis(1)
Scoobus - Doncic(1), JJJ(6)
Trader Jake - Jokic(1), Jrue(5)
Moops/dawgtrail - Morant(1)
Dunfee - Tatum(1)
Instinctive - Embiid(1), Haliburton(2), Mitchell(5)
Dr. Octopus - none
Yo Mama - Brown(2)
Eephus - Derozan(7)
nysfl2 - Williamson(1)
Juxtatrot - Durant(1)
Chem X - SGA(3)
Frostillicus - Sabonis(2), PG13(3)
Jayrod - Adebayo(2), Markkanen(5)
Desert Power - Curry(1), LBJ(2)

3 - Instinctive
2 - Scooby, Trader Jake, Frosty, Jayrod, Desert Power
1 - Kev, Moops/dt, Dunfee, Yo Mama, Eephus, nysfl2, Juxtatrot & ChemX
0 - Dr. Octopus

 

[Jayrod]

Undrafted All-Stars

De’Aaron Fox - $30.4M

I think this is supposed to be Kyrie Irving - $36.9M

 

[Dr. Octopus]

0 - Dr. Octopus

I don’t know as much about the NBA as you guys but this doesn’t seem good.

 

[Eephus]

0 - Dr. Octopus

I don’t know as much about the NBA as you guys but this doesn’t seem good.

Think of all the All-Star bonus clauses you won't have to pay out.

 

[Yo Mama]

Undrafted All-Stars

De’Aaron Fox - $30.4M

I think this is supposed to be Kyrie Irving - $36.9M

You’re right - what a day to forget about him.

 

[Yo Mama]

All-Stars by team (round drafted):

Kev4029 - Giannis(1)
Scoobus - Doncic(1), JJJ(6)
Trader Jake - Jokic(1), Jrue(5)
Moops/dawgtrail - Morant(1)
Dunfee - Tatum(1)
Instinctive - Embiid(1), Haliburton(2), Mitchell(5)
Dr. Octopus - none
Yo Mama - Brown(2)
Eephus - Derozan(7)
nysfl2 - Williamson(1)
Juxtatrot - Durant(1)
Chem X - SGA(3)
Frostillicus - Sabonis(2), PG13(3)
Jayrod - Adebayo(2), Markkanen(5)
Desert Power - Curry(1), LBJ(2)

3 - Instinctive
2 - Scooby, Trader Jake, Frosty, Jayrod, Desert Power
1 - Kev, Moops/dt, Dunfee, Yo Mama, Eephus, nysfl2, Juxtatrot & ChemX
0 - Dr. Octopus

Thanks for doing this.

I shoulda had four. Still bitter.

 

[Jayrod]

0 - Dr. Octopus

I don’t know as much about the NBA as you guys but this doesn’t seem good.

When I first typed out the post, I had the tumbleweed emoji by your name, but I thought that might be piling on.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

0 - Dr. Octopus

I don’t know as much about the NBA as you guys but this doesn’t seem good.

When I first typed out the post, I had the tumbleweed emoji by your name, but I thought that might be piling on.

My two top players (highest priced) have missed a lot of time this season, so that didn’t help.

 

[GordonGekko]

VIDEO: Cam Thomas UNREAL 44 Points in 29 Mins! Full Highlights vs Wizards Feb 4, 2023

Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets - Full Game Highlights | February 4, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XtFaovpmYU




********

2022-23 NBA Thread: “you’ll never let me down like the Heat did”, Miami fan says to giant pile of cocaine

Would be beautiful if he's cancelled just like Kanye/Ye/whatever the **** his name is. Beyond time. NBA not doing anything just shows hypocrisy with the whole Social Justice stuff.

forums.footballguys.com

Oct 31, 2022


Speaking of opportunity, looking at the Net's roster, the guy I'm watching is

Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets ( This year's salary is 2.1 million)

I'm pretty sure at some point, Kyrie Irving is going to get suspended. Someone is going to find something somewhere, no matter how hard they have to dig. So the conventional thought is that Claxton will start at center and maybe Day'Ron Sharpe steals some burn. But if the goal is to get the best players on the court, at some point, Ben Simmons is going to have to shift to center. I don't see him as an effective rim protector, but if he keeps refusing to shoot, that team can't play offense rolling 3 on 5. ( Simmons plus a rim protector are two big fat offensive zeroes) And if Irving is removed somehow, that makes it even worse for them. Other than Durant and Irving, on that roster, which is extremely top heavy, Cam Thomas is the only other player who can consistently create his own shot. The drawbacks are that he's undisciplined, is a horrific defender, shades out as a pure ball stopper and he only gives you scoring. He's the polar opposite of Ben Simmons. But he can get to the rim consistently, even while defenses are bracketing him, and that just insanely valuable. Can he translate into a 6th man? The reason that matters is he's a rich man's Alonzo Trier, he needs to be ball dominant. But where else will the Nets get offense if Irving is suspended or has some glitch where he can't play or won't play?

Real life NBA, Thomas drags in a lot of question marks ( Kessler Edwards is probably more valuable in a role) But in fantasy, how often does a bad defender hurt you in a 8 CAT or 9 CAT league other than it creates a reason for his coach to bench him and shades down on his minutes potential?

Highlights #1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15iUexvXIdY

Highlights #2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuZA1yWQ-YA



*********

2021-22 NBA Thread: Bill Simmons furiously recording 2.5 hour long pod about how Boston is still better than Golden State

I know that we have inundated this thread with Ben Simmons stuff, and that some of the trade suggestions have been "pie in the sky" but the Boston Fansided site suggesting this trade is beyond the pale: Celtics Get: BEN SIMMONS SETH CURRY TYRESE MAXEY 2022 1ST ROUND PICK Sixers Get...

forums.footballguys.com

Nov 16, 2021


Net's had a pretty good draft.

Giving away Jarrett Allen for basically nothing and signing DeAndre Jordan to that idiotic contract just to appease Durant/Irving were huge mistakes.

Cam Thomas is a legitimate offensive threat. The guy can create his own shot and given where he was taken in the draft, that's a tremendous value. I'm not so hot on DayRon Sharpe as a prospect but Kessler Edwards would have been a legitimate early 20s type first rounder in many other drafts. I'd call Edwards a real sleeper for this team.



***********

2022-23 NBA Thread: “you’ll never let me down like the Heat did”, Miami fan says to giant pile of cocaine

both jordan clarkson and kuminga had a pretty epic hold me back bro dance fest last night it was a thing of pure beauty take that to the bank brohans here it is https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1600706495213031424 KG would have given either one a whoopin'. except you and i both know he...

forums.footballguys.com

Dec 11, 2022


Thomas looks like the classic high volume scorer that can produce on a bad team. If enough injuries get in the way of the Nets, Thomas could turn those opportunities and minutes into a lot of counting stats.

 

[GordonGekko]

VIDEO: Cam Thomas has Brooklyn 47 Points Full Highlights vs Clippers 2/6/23

Los Angeles Clippers vs Brooklyn Nets - Full Game Highlights | February 6, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBPFRrF5JsA



*******


If Durant mails it in, then the sky is the limit for Thomas. He has the green light and when he's on, he's an extremely difficult cover.

He has the makeup of a momentum type of player. Once he gets going, he goes into a zone and that's both good and bad. Thomas will shoot you to a win, or shoot you into a loss. This is where, in behavioral psychology modeling, someone with noted "low agreeableness" can thrive.

 

[Desert_Power]

Good trades today for my squad. Freeing Thybulle for potentially more minutes that I could use. Hornets also moved Plumlee to give Mark Williams and Nick Richards more of a look. Combined with AJ Griffin getting the 6th most minutes on the Hawks, I'm liking how a few of these cheap players are turning out.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Cam Thomas, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard are one hell of a big three.

 

[GordonGekko]

https://forums.footballguys.com/thr...n-a-game-7-this-year-too.804716/post-24266984

Oct 30, 2022

"This is where it gets interesting. Tari Eason might be the steal of this past draft. Very high motor but often undisciplined at times. Incredible length and athleticism. Enough plus defense to get minutes and keep them if he starts to have a break out. What stands out the most with Eason is the ability to create his own shot looks projectible. Huge boom/bust kind of player arc. You need a veteran like Goran Dragic to teach someone this raw to ease off the gas and take what the defense gives you. I can see Mathews getting minutes with a Gordon trade. Tate is interesting in that Jabari Smith isn't a stone cold lock and could steal some value there. I wouldn't be surprise to see Tate traded at some point.

But the big boon here is Eason. He clearly has the chops and tool set to be a legitimate starter in the NBA. If Gordon moves, and I believe he will, my take is it's Eason's job to lose. I suspect that the Rockets want Mathews as a super sub. I'd rate them as Eason, Mathews and Tate in that order but the entire situation is very interesting from an opportunity standpoint. Minutes will open up and the Rockets want to know what those young guys will give them."


******


https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4433192/tari-eason

Rockets rookie showcases veteran traits in growing role

The versatile forward continues to be a bright spot for the NBA's second-youngest team.

www.chron.com

"Eason's first 47 professional games are perhaps the most pleasant development of Houston's ugly season thus far. The No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA draft appears to be another quality non-lottery selection for general manager Rafael Stone, albeit with less upside than 2021 No. 16 pick Alperen Şengün. Eason is already a plus defender. He's adept at switching onto both bigs and smalls, and he's an attentive team defender. Eason makes post entries hell for opposing guards. He has quick hands and is a smart gambler when shooting into passing lanes. Eason is one of 16 players (and the only rookie) with eight games of at least three steals, and on Monday night, he added a pair of blocks. Eason's defensive IQ and large frame should carve out at least some rotational role across the next decade.

The defensive production isn't necessarily a surprise given Eason's pre-draft profile. His offensive growth thus far suggests he could be a steal for Stone just outside the lottery. Eason is attempting just two triples per game, but his stroke is improving as he enters Tuesday at 37.6 percent from three. He's made a three-pointer in six of his last eight games, and is more than comfortable as a corner shooter. You don't have to squint too hard to see Eason growing his volume to P.J. Tucker's peak (4.7 three-point attempts per game) in Houston, and while Eason is struggling to finish at the rim, he's a decisive and aggressive straight-line driver. As Houston too-often bogs down into one-on-one basketball, Eason is a solid connector. "

NBA Star Power Index: Kyrie Irving is cooking in Dallas; Damian Lillard on a scoring bonanza

Also, Chris Paul was in a dishing mood on Tuesday

www.cbssports.com

"Tari Eason is a good offensive rebounder. He might even be a great one. Among rookies this season, he ranks third with 2.2 of them per game. Alperen Sengun is the only Rocket to pull in more of them thus far this year. But Eason only plays 19.4 minutes per game. He's started only three times in his career. If I were to tell you Eason had one of the greatest offensive rebounding games in the history of professional basketball, you'd probably scoff. But that's exactly what happened against the Thunder on Wednesday.First thing's first: we specified offensive rebounding for a reason. Eason was invisible on the defensive glass, pulling in only a single defensive rebound. But in his 19 minutes against the Thunder, he pulled in a staggering 12 offensive rebounds."



VIDEO: Tari Eason Highlight Mix! (Vol. 1 • 2022-23 Season) Jan 30, 2023

Houston hit a home run by selecting Tari Eason w/ at #17 in the 2022 Draft. He's relentless on the glass, can push the rock (& score), loves to drive hard to the rim, and is confident rising up for triples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlJL1UTlCyQ



VIDEO: Tari Eason 20 pts 13 reb 3 stl vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 2023-02-01

Tari Eason Highlights from Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets on 2023-02-01.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkpUIYg7aXs


********


Eason showing good progress, little by little. Houston is not playing actual team basketball right now, so that limits some of Eason's opportunities, but the long term 3 And D upside is there.

 

[the moops]

Wait - somebody drafted Goran Dragic?

For what it’s worth, he’s been quite good to start the season.

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania


The Bulls have waived Goran Dragic.

 

[Desert_Power]

Curry and LeBron injuries aren't great for me. More less efficient Giddey minutes.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Wait - somebody drafted Goran Dragic?

For what it’s worth, he’s been quite good to start the season.

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania


The Bulls have waived Goran Dragic.

Yeah, his performance dropped off. Apparently the decision was mutual. I think he’ll try to latch on with a better team. I’m not sure if he’ll have any takers.

 

[Kev4029]

Wait - somebody drafted Goran Dragic?

For what it’s worth, he’s been quite good to start the season.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania


The Bulls have waived Goran Dragic.

Yeah, his performance dropped off. Apparently the decision was mutual. I think he’ll try to latch on with a better team. I’m not sure if he’ll have any takers.

The Mavs could take a third guy that knows how to dribble a basketball.

 

[Yo Mama]

Only one week left in the season and the fantasy standings on Fantrax are closer than the playoff standings in the Western Conference.



Top of the standings:

91 – @dunfee555

90 – @Yo Mama

88 – @Frostillicus

85 – @trader jake

85 – @Chemical X

84 – @Jayrod



Categories to keep an eye on:

Points – Chem X 14,007, Yo Mama 13,993, Frosty 13,485. . . Jayrod 12,721, Dunfee 12,485

Assists – Yo Mama 3,177, Frosty 3,162

3s Made – Frosty 1,268, Yo Mama 1,256. . . Jake only 7 ahead of team behind him

Steals – Jake 813, Frosty 810. . . Jayrod 784, Dunfee 783. . . Chem X only 2 behind team ahead of him

FG % (this is crazy close) – Jake 0.494, Frosty 0.492 (1 other team at 0.494). . . Dunfee 0.477, Yo Mama 0.476, Jayrod 0.476 (2 other teams at 0.476). . . Chem X only 0.001 behind team ahead of him




After the season is done, I’ll be doing some end of season awards based on the final stats and salary levels.
Here’s to a crazy last week to a crazy season! This has been a fun process and I hope we can do it again next season.

 

[Jayrod]

Only one week left in the season and the fantasy standings on Fantrax are closer than the playoff standings in the Western Conference.



Top of the standings:

91 – @dunfee555

90 – @Yo Mama

88 – @Frostillicus

85 – @trader jake

85 – @Chemical X

84 – @Jayrod



Categories to keep an eye on:

Points – Chem X 14,007, Yo Mama 13,993, Frosty 13,485. . . Jayrod 12,721, Dunfee 12,485

Assists – Yo Mama 3,177, Frosty 3,162

3s Made – Frosty 1,268, Yo Mama 1,256. . . Jake only 7 ahead of team behind him

Steals – Jake 813, Frosty 810. . . Jayrod 784, Dunfee 783. . . Chem X only 2 behind team ahead of him

FG % (this is crazy close) – Jake 0.494, Frosty 0.492 (1 other team at 0.494). . . Dunfee 0.477, Yo Mama 0.476, Jayrod 0.476 (2 other teams at 0.476). . . Chem X only 0.001 behind team ahead of him




After the season is done, I’ll be doing some end of season awards based on the final stats and salary levels.
Here’s to a crazy last week to a crazy season! This has been a fun process and I hope we can do it again next season.

Last week at one point I was in a 3-way tie for 3rd place.

 

[Yo Mama]

The final fantasy standings went down to the wire. My team lost 3 points in the FG% category the last day to push me into a tie for 2nd.



Congrats to Dunfee on the fantasy championship.



Final Fantasy Standings:



1 – @dunfee555 – 92



2T – @Frostillicus – 87

2T – @Yo Mama – 87

4 – @Chemical X – 86

5 – @Jayrod 84

6 – @trader jake – 83



7 – @Instinctive – 73

8 – @Desert_Power – 66



9 – @Eephus – 59

10 – @scoobus – 55

11 – @the moops – 53

12 – @Juxtatarot – 45



13 – @Dr. Octopus – 36

14 – @nysfl2 – 30

15 – @Kev4029 - 24


Next up: END OF SEASON AWARDS, Part 1 – best undrafted players

 

[Frostillicus]

I told you my team was good. Haters.

 

[Yo Mama]

END OF SEASON AWARDS – Part 1: Best Undrafted Players



All the guys you should have drafted instead of the stiffs on your team.





Best Undrafted Players - under $2M

SG - Isaiah Joe $1.8M - 73 games, 1395 min - 9p/2r/1a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 14.5 PER, 44/41/82 shooting for 63 TS%

SF - Keita Bates-Diop $1.9M - 67 games, 1452 min - 10p/4r/2a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 14.9 PER, 51/39/79 shooting for 61 TS%

SG - Shake Milton $2.0M - 76 games, 1567 min - 8p/3r/3a - 0s/0b with 1 made threes - 12.7 PER, 48/38/85 shooting for 58 TS%

PF/C - Moritz Wagner $1.9M - 57 games, 1109 min - 11p/5r/1a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 17.4 PER, 50/31/84 shooting for 63 TS%

C - Drew Eubanks $2.0M - 78 games, 1584 min - 7p/5r/1a - 1s/1b with 0 made threes - 16.2 PER, 64/39/66 shooting for 67 TS%





Best Undrafted Players - $2M-$8M

PF - Patrick Williams $7.8M - 82 games, 2323 min - 10p/4r/1a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 11.2 PER, 46/42/86 shooting for 58 TS%

SF - Corey Kispert $3.6M - 74 games, 2093 min - 11p/3r/1a - 0s/0b with 2 made threes - 11.5 PER, 50/42/85 shooting for 66 TS%

PG - Killian Hayes $5.8M - 76 games, 2154 min - 10p/3r/6a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 10.2 PER, 38/28/82 shooting for 46 TS%

SG - Coby White $7.4M - 74 games, 1730 min - 10p/3r/3a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 12.5 PER, 44/37/87 shooting for 57 TS%

SG - Donte DiVincenzo $4.5M - 72 games, 1894 min - 9p/5r/4a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 12.8 PER, 44/40/82 shooting for 59 TS%





Best Undrafted Players - $8M-$15M

SG - Kevin Huerter $14.5M - 75 games, 2203 min - 15p/3r/3a - 1s/0b with 3 made threes - 15.2 PER, 49/40/73 shooting for 62 TS%

SG - Malik Monk $9.5M - 77 games, 1719 min - 14p/3r/4a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 16.6 PER, 45/36/89 shooting for 59 TS%

C - Wendell Carter $14.2M - 57 games, 1690 min - 15p/9r/2a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 17.3 PER, 53/36/74 shooting for 62 TS%

C - Mason Plumlee $9.1M - 79 games, 2054 min - 11p/9r/3a - 1s/1b with 0 made threes - 19.6 PER, 68/0/64 shooting for 69 TS%

C - Kelly Olynyk $12.8M - 68 games, 1942 min - 12p/6r/4a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 14.4 PER, 50/39/85 shooting for 64 TS%





Best Undrafted Players - $15M-$25M

PF - Julius Randle $23.8M - 77 games, 2737 min - 25p/10r/4a - 1s/0b with 3 made threes - 20.3 PER, 46/34/76 shooting for 58 TS%

PG - Spencer Dinwiddie $20.2M - 79 games, 2725 min - 17p/3r/7a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 16 PER, 44/37/81 shooting for 57 TS%

PF - Harrison Barnes $18.4M - 82 games, 2662 min - 15p/4r/2a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 14.1 PER, 47/37/85 shooting for 63 TS%

PF - Aaron Gordon $19.7M - 68 games, 2055 min - 16p/7r/3a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 19.5 PER, 56/35/61 shooting for 62 TS%

SG - Norman Powell $16.8M - 60 games, 1567 min - 17p/3r/2a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 17.1 PER, 48/40/81 shooting for 61 TS%





Best Undrafted Players - $25M+

SG - Zach LaVine $37.1M - 77 games, 2768 min - 25p/4r/4a - 1s/0b with 3 made threes - 19 PER, 49/38/85 shooting for 61 TS%

PG - Damian Lillard $42.5M - 58 games, 2107 min - 32p/5r/7a - 1s/0b with 4 made threes - 26.7 PER, 46/37/91 shooting for 65 TS%

PG - De'Aaron Fox $30.4M - 73 games, 2435 min - 25p/4r/6a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 21.8 PER, 51/32/78 shooting for 60 TS%

PG - Kyrie Irving $36.9M - 60 games, 2241 min - 27p/5r/6a - 1s/1b with 3 made threes - 22.4 PER, 49/38/91 shooting for 61 TS%

C - Kristaps Porzingis $33.8M - 65 games, 2120 min - 23p/8r/3a - 1s/2b with 2 made threes - 23.1 PER, 50/39/85 shooting for 63 TS%





Best Undrafted Players – not under contract at time of draft

SF - Anthony Lamb - 62 games, 1195 min - 7p/3r/2a - 0s/0b with 1 made threes - 10.9 PER, 47/37/77 shooting for 61 TS%

PG - Jordan Goodwin - 62 games, 1106 min - 7p/3r/3a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 14.8 PER, 45/32/77 shooting for 53 TS%

SG - Ty Jerome - 45 games, 816 min - 7p/2r/3a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 12.8 PER, 49/39/93 shooting for 59 TS%

PG - Theo Maledon - 44 games, 854 min - 7p/3r/3a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 11.6 PER, 40/30/85 shooting for 52 TS%

PG - Kris Dunn - 22 games, 568 min - 13p/5r/6a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 19.1 PER, 54/47/77 shooting for 61 TS%





Next up, Part 2 – worst drafted players

 

[Yo Mama]

END OF SEASON AWARDS – Part 2: Worst Drafted Players

Focus is on full year impact, so volume matters as well as per game stats.


Worst Drafted Players - under $2M

SF - Chima Moneke $1M - scoobus - 2 games, 8 min - 1p/1r/1a - 0s/0b with 0 made threes - -3.5 PER, 50/0/0 shooting for 35 TS%

PG - Facundo Campazzo $1.8M - eephus - 8 games, 52 min - 1p/0r/1a - 1s/0b with 0 made threes - 7.8 PER, 23/27/50 shooting for 36 TS%

SG - Tyrese Martin $1.0M - kev - 16 games, 66 min - 1p/1r/0a - 0s/0b with 0 made threes - 7.7 PER, 39/14/100 shooting for 44 TS%

PG - Ryan Rollins $1.0M - instinctive - 12 games, 62 min - 2p/1r/1a - 0s/0b with 0 made threes - -1.4 PER, 35/33/100 shooting for 51 TS%

SF - Thanasis Antetokounmpo $1.9M - kev - 37 games, 206 min - 1p/1r/0a - 0s/0b with 0 made threes - 6.7 PER, 44/0/50 shooting for 46 TS%


Worst Drafted Players - $2M-$8M

SF - Otto Porter $6.0M - nysfl2 - 8 games, 146 min - 6p/2r/1a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 14 PER, 50/35/100 shooting for 66 TS%

SG - Bryn Forbes $2.3M - trader jake - 25 games, 268 min - 4p/1r/1a - 0s/0b with 1 made threes - 6.2 PER, 36/30/100 shooting for 50 TS%

PF - Jake LaRavia $3.0M - nysfl2 - 35 games, 414 min - 3p/2r/1a - 0s/0b with 1 made threes - 6.7 PER, 39/34/78 shooting for 53 TS%

C - JaVale McGee $5.5M - juxtatrot - 42 games, 355 min - 4p/3r/0a - 0s/1b with 0 made threes - 17.2 PER, 64/40/59 shooting for 65 TS%

PG - Dyson Daniels $5.5M - instinctive - 59 games, 1042 min - 4p/3r/2a - 1s/0b with 0 made threes - 8.8 PER, 42/31/65 shooting for 50 TS%


Worst Drafted Players - $8M-$15M

PG - Gary Payton II $8.3M - nysfl2 - 22 games, 367 min - 5p/3r/1a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 13.3 PER, 59/50/86 shooting for 70 TS%

SF - Jae Crowder $10.2M - trader jake - 18 games, 340 min - 7p/4r/2a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 14.6 PER, 48/44/83 shooting for 62 TS%

C - Maxi Kleber $9.0M - instinctive - 37 games, 930 min - 6p/4r/1a - 0s/1b with 1 made threes - 8.7 PER, 46/35/71 shooting for 59 TS%

PG - Cade Cunningham $10.6M - kev - 12 games, 400 min - 20p/6r/6a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 14 PER, 42/28/84 shooting for 49 TS%

PF - Robert Covington $12.3M - moops - 48 games, 779 min - 6p/3r/1a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 14.2 PER, 45/40/75 shooting for 58 TS%


Worst Drafted Players - $15M-$25M

PG - Marcus Smart $17.2M - juxtatrot - 61 games, 1957 min - 12p/3r/6a - 2s/0b with 2 made threes - 12.1 PER, 42/34/75 shooting for 54 TS%

PG - Mike Conley $22.7M - nysfl2 - 67 games, 2029 min - 12p/3r/7a - 1s/0b with 2 made threes - 14.7 PER, 43/39/83 shooting for 58 TS%

PF - John Collins $23.5M - dunfee - 71 games, 2130 min - 13p/7r/1a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 13.6 PER, 51/29/80 shooting for 59 TS%

SG - Derrick White $16.9M - instinctive - 82 games, 2319 min - 12p/4r/4a - 1s/1b with 2 made threes - 15.4 PER, 46/38/88 shooting for 60 TS%

SG - Gary Trent Jr $17.5M - eephus - 66 games, 2118 min - 17p/3r/2a - 2s/0b with 3 made threes - 15 PER, 43/37/84 shooting for 56 TS%


Worst Drafted Players - $25M+

PF - Karl-Anthony Towns $33.8M - eephus - 29 games, 957 min - 21p/8r/5a - 1s/1b with 2 made threes - 18.8 PER, 50/37/87 shooting for 62 TS%

PF - Draymond Green $25.8M - trader jake - 73 games, 2297 min - 8p/7r/7a - 1s/1b with 1 made threes - 12.2 PER, 53/31/71 shooting for 59 TS%

SF - Andrew Wiggins $33.6M - instinctive - 37 games, 1190 min - 17p/5r/2a - 1s/1b with 2 made threes - 14.7 PER, 47/40/61 shooting for 56 TS%

C - Rudy Gobert $38.2M - moops - 70 games, 2148 min - 13p/12r/1a - 1s/1b with 0 made threes - 18.9 PER, 66/0/64 shooting for 68 TS%

SF - Brandon Ingram $31.7M - scoobus - 45 games, 1538 min - 25p/5r/6a - 1s/0b with 1 made threes - 19.2 PER, 48/39/88 shooting for 58 TS%


Next up, Part 3 – top drafted players (need to spend more time on these)

 

[Instinctive]

Only guy with a "worst drafted" in every bucket come at me. Assuming this is based on the fantasy stats given inclusion of Wiggins/Kleber who were both pretty darn important when available. Also clearly undervalues defense to see those two, Smart, Draymond, Payton all make the lists.

 

[Yo Mama]

Only guy with a "worst drafted" in every bucket come at me. Assuming this is based on the fantasy stats given inclusion of Wiggins/Kleber who were both pretty darn important when available. Also clearly undervalues defense to see those two, Smart, Draymond, Payton all make the lists.

The “when available” was a big part of what I was ranking on. The games/minutes played was a big factor.

I probably could have broken out the salary groupings better. The higher salary “worst” selections were tough since there wasn’t a huge pool to choose from.

 

[Yo Mama]

Only guy with a "worst drafted" in every bucket come at me. Assuming this is based on the fantasy stats given inclusion of Wiggins/Kleber who were both pretty darn important when available. Also clearly undervalues defense to see those two, Smart, Draymond, Payton all make the lists.

The “when available” was a big part of what I was ranking on. The games/minutes played was a big factor.

I probably could have broken out the salary groupings better. The higher salary “worst” selections were tough since there wasn’t a huge pool to choose from.

Also, Payton was an easy inclusion on the worst lists. He barely played this year and only averaged 5/3/1 when he did play. The others were much tougher decisions.

 

[nysfl2]

Only guy with a "worst drafted" in every bucket come at me. Assuming this is based on the fantasy stats given inclusion of Wiggins/Kleber who were both pretty darn important when available. Also clearly undervalues defense to see those two, Smart, Draymond, Payton all make the lists.

The “when available” was a big part of what I was ranking on. The games/minutes played was a big factor.

I probably could have broken out the salary groupings better. The higher salary “worst” selections were tough since there wasn’t a huge pool to choose from.

Also, Payton was an easy inclusion on the worst lists. He barely played this year and only averaged 5/3/1 when he did play. The others were much tougher decisions.

I certainly agree with this one. One of my big regrets from the draft was taking him instead of Alex Caruso.

I wasn't aware he was injured at the time.

 

[Jayrod]

Derrick White and Gary Trent, Jr?

I'm not as familiar with Trent's season, but he is top 5 in steals and shooting 37% from 3. I guess is it relative to salary?

No matter how you slice it, White was a juggernaut for Boston and played in all 82 games. He was the glue that held the team together through their injuries and played great on both ends of the ball shooting 38% from 3. He had a plus 12 in net rating for the season and that isn't some kind of "cog in a wheel" type numbers, he was a legit contributor to the Celtics success all season long. Super confused by his inclusion on the "worst drafted" list unless someone is counting on him as a starter, he is a top bench option.