First Look -- Les Digits

 

Quick Draft Summary: Josh went with a C/PG 1-2 punch, then filled out with solid swingmen, and as is his custom took risks on youth in the second half of the draft.

Frontcourt: Amare (2), Horford (7), T-Murph(9), Collison (13), Shaq (15)
It's hard to pass on BronBron, but Amare is a terrific player when healthy. His Yao-like FT% sets him apart from the other top C's, and he should be a solid anchor of the team, despite health risks and some questions about the new-look Suns. Horford, Murphy, and SweetNickyC could easily average double-doubles, and Shaq and Varejao (depending on minutes) should give this team plenty of rebounding. J-Smoove and Jamison pull down mad boards as well...They look to be competitive in Blocks, if not dominant, as Amare and J-Smoove are elite blockers, and Horford and Shaq should contribute. There's not a ton of blocking depth, however. I think there are questions about how much Shaq plays and how much he drags down Les Digit's FT%. Also, Shaq, Murphy, Amare, and Collison (and J-Smoove) are very Tech and Disq prone, which could have an impact in some close weeks.

Backcourt: Billups (2), B-Roy (5), D-Rose (10), Conley (14), Chalmers (19)

Chauncey's probably good for 17 and 7 again, with excellent FT% and some 3s (though as a Stuckey owner I confess to hoping for some decline), but I'm not so sure about the rest of Les Digits PG corps. B-Roy is fantastic, of course, but I wonder if his assist numbers will drop as he handles the ball less. D-Rose looked fantastic in the preseason, but rookie PGs are hard to rely on. I'm not optimistic that Les Digits will be competitive in Assists or Steals, especially given that Assisting is among the few things at which Amare, J-Smoove, and Jamison do not excel.

Swingmen: J-Smoove (3), Jamison (4), Deng (8), Marvin (11)

Smith could be quite a value early in the third, and Jamison has quietly become a fantasy force in the last few years. There's good balance here, as Jamison provides 3s and rebounds, Smoove blocks and steals, while Deng pitches in various cats while scoring quite a bit. My only concern is that the team as a whole might not generate enough raw points and FGs. It appears to me that someone - perhaps Deng or MarvWill, needs to step up his output to the 22PPG level, at least until Manu returns.

X-Factors: Manu (6), Ricky Buckets (12), Boone (16), Varejao (18)

I like all these guys this year, but they are all risky. Manu may be out until 2009, and Boone has an irregular heartbeat. Varejao (a rebounding beast) is still behind Ben Wallace and the Big Z for minutes, though that will likely change in a few months. Ricky fills the stat sheet, but looks to be behind Cat Mobley or Al Thornton, and has high TO/Tech downside. 

Strengths: DREB, FG%, 3s, TO -- fewer PGs means fewer TOs
Weaknesses: AST, TECH, DISQ, STL

Best Pick: Luol "The Girls I've Loved Before" Deng (8). No 3's, but he's poised for a comeback year
Worst Pick: Manu(6) -- Injured, unfortunately - could have grabbed him several rounds later.