If you can't Joinum...

Spoonful drop Warrick, pick up Batum

Hakim Warrick can score, but he is soft and doesn't play defense. This has not endeared him to coaches, and it seems he's presently buried behind Darrell Arthur, Marc Gasol, and perhaps Darko. He'll be rosterable at some point this year, but right now he's not getting it done.

Nicolas Batum is only 19, very raw, and, while he's quite athletic, he's on a deep Portland team, and will not be a consistent performer. However, he looks amazing tonight, plays with high energy, and should get 15-20 minutes while Oden is out, and do some stealing and blocking.in that time. It may be that Bayless is the Blazer rookie on the outside looking in.

Judgment: Worth a flyer, though this doesn't address any team needs (except bodies on the floor). Rumor is that the team is being renamed 'The Lovin' Sixthmen'. Warrick was needed for his rebounding, in particular, but he's not doing it. Millsap may end up on the Spoonful soon enough...

Millsap Dropped!

my$hkin drops Millsap for Jason Thompson

Paul Millsap, in his 3rd year out of La Tech, has been quite effective as a rebounder when given minutes. He's a high-energy wideman, and will be highly sought after when Boozer goes down. Until then he'll have nights like his first game (20 minutes - 4/4) with occasional 10/14 outbursts

Jason Thompson, picked 12th overall by Sacramento, surprised everyone with a 18/10 opening night. The intrigue mounted when it was realized that, even after B-Mill returns from his drug suspension, has only Mikki Moore ahead of him at PF. In tonight's game, he had 10/7 in only 18 minutes.

Judgment: I'm not sure, honestly. Thompson has a bit more opportunity, it seems, than Millsap, but Millsap has proven he can perform consistently. Thompson's a rookie from a tiny school (Rider), and will likely struggle at times. As they are both rebounding specialists, I'm calling this one a wash.

Kapono!

Nor'easter drops S.Williams for J.Kapono

Sean Williams (not to be confused with Shawne Williams) was nor'Easter's 20th round pick, and has now been dropped after a DNP-CD in game 1. He showed some PTS/REB/BLK potential in limited minutes last year, in his second season out of Boston College, but seems to be well behind Ba-Boone, B-Lopez, and Yi in the NJ frontcourt.

Jason Kapono, reigning 3-point shootout champion, had a nice 15 point, 3 3pt first game (though an ugly 5 point 4 foul outing tonight). As a perimeter bench guy, his minutes and production probably depend on the performance of Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. He should be a good if inconsistent source of 3s, if nothing else.

Judgment: A solid pickup - Williams is dead weight at this point.

The Ba-Boone

Sources report the Nets have picked up their option on F Josh Boone, suggesting they, like the Digits, expect great things from him. No doubt they were impressed by his 4-pt, 3-reb performance Wednesday night.

In a related story, one wonders if the Digits aren't in super-secret negotiations with the tsaogripers over Josh Howard, as the Digits looks to put together the first all-Josh lineup.

Sefo-'loser'

Spoonful drops sefolosha, picks up Brooks

Again, Thabo has been discussed recently.

Aaron Brooks is in his 2nd year out of Oregon; he's only 6'0, but is very fast, and can score. He was out with an ankle injury, but scored 14 last night. It's unclear what to expect from him, if anything, as he shot often and terribly from 3pt territory. He may, however, get playing time if Rafer continues to stink it up.

Judgment: The Spoonful is a touch desperate for PT, and is worried about the PG position, having lost Tony Parker to trade, and Marbury and Quinn to drops.Will Boobie Gibson be the next Spoonful pickup?

Wassamatta Yue?

tsaogrip drops Yue, picks up Finley

It's late, so this will be short.

Sun Yue, the 'Chinese Magic Johnson' is a versatile guard known for his playmaking. He apparently missed a chunk of training camp with mono, and that may or may not be related to his lack of PT. Consensus seems to be he's headed to the D-League for a while.

We've discussed Finley quite recently, so no need to repeat what I said there.

Judgment: This is obviously a solid move by tsaogrip, as he's losing nothing, and using his #10 waiver pick also costs nothing. Small gains in PTS and 3s should follow.

The Sleeper Has Awoken

That's right, Mario Chalmers. 17 pts on 54% shooting, 8 assists and 7 boards.

Good Riddance! Starbury set free.

Spoonful drops Stephon Marbury for Roger Mason Jr.

Another veteran cut loose! In our (12-team) 2005 draft, Marbury was a 2nd round pick, and Hughes a 3rd rounder.

Stephon Marbury, once a consistent 20 PT/8 AST man has been in decline for some time. His %s and his per minute PT/AST/STL numbers have faltered so that last year, even in 33 minutes per game, he only averaged 14/4.7 - not terrible, but it looks as if even that level of production is not in the cards this year. His attitude has never endeared him to coaches, and new Knicks coach D'Antoni has, for now, elected not to play him at all, so he'll be riding the pine with Eddy Curry. I assume Marbury has some stupid giant contract that makes him untradeable, but I'm not sure. Perhaps he'll find a new place, or injuries will give him a new opportunity in New York. Until then, he shall be a Spoonful no more!

Roger Mason Jr., is in his 6th year out of Virginia, and moved from the Wizards to the Spurs in the offseason. He's mostly a 3 point specialist, but contributes a tiny bit elsewhere. He really got his first chance to shine last year in Gilbert Arenas's absence. Coach Pop loves him, and, especially while Manu is out, he may see a fair bit of time at SG (sliding Finley over to SF). I think, during that period, he'll see 25 minutes, and get 10 pts with 2 3s per game.

Judgment: The Spoonful is not hesitating to cut bait this year - so watch out Hakim Warrick! Mason has a bit of upside, and will help shore up the team's woeful 3pt shooting. That said, he doesn't do a lot else, and may be quite limited when Manu returns. On the other hand, giving up a big fat zero in Starbury doesn't hurt much.

The Thrilla!

my$hkin drops Larry Hughes, picks up Joel Przybilla

And who can blame him! It took all of my$hkin's continence to avert drafting the Przyblla, but now the Chinchilla is where he belongs.

Larry Hughes has been an effective, if maddeningly inconsistent fantasy star for years. He's only 29, but he's always been injury prone, and one senses his best days are far behind him. Even in his 'really good year', in 2004 with the Wizards, when he went off for 22/6/5/3STL, he only played in 61 games. He is currently injured with a dislocated finger, and appears to be out for 1-3 more weeks. Even when he returns, his role on the Bulls is somewhat unclear. Once traded to the Bulls last year, he mostly started, but played limited minutes, and was generally not an asset to the team. He did have some monster games last year, including a 40 pt outburst, and will likely have a few going forward. He'll surely be rostered again during such a hot streak, but will likely only be good for 10/3/3 and a steal in the aggregate.

Joel Przybilla, The Vanilla Gorilla, is quite a force in the paint. He'll never score much, and he's the worst free throw shooter in the NBA, but he has shown the capacity to block shots in bunches and rebound like mad. Even last year, in only 23 minutes per game, he averaged 8.4 rebounds. This year, his role looked to be reduced still further with the arrival of the Hosen's Greg Oden, but, of course, Oden's injury stands to give the Thrlla an opportunity. I would think 8 points 10 rebounds 2 blocks, 5 fouls while Oden is out.

Judgment: Fundamentally, my$hkin gave up some points, assists, and steals, for rebounds and blocks. The Oden injury and Hughes' injury make this timely, but my$hkin has addressed core needs while shedding strengths. Can Zaza be far behind?

A Move from the Spoonful

Chris Quinn dropped for Thabo Sefolosha

Chris Quinn, 20th round pick by the Spoonful, has been dropped. There mixed reports as to whether he'll start, platoon, or not be in the Miami PG rotation. If starting, he could be a useful 10/5 guy; if not, he's useless.

Thabo Sefolosha, the 'Swiss Miss', is in a mess of a minutes logjam as an SG in Chicago, along with Hinrich, Gordon, and Larry Hughes. He is, for now, starting, however. He's extremely foul-prone, and can't really shoot consistently; he proved in the spring, however, that he can provide all-round stats if given minutes. No more than 7P/4R/2A, plus most of a steal and a block can be expected unless he gets a lot more minutes.

 

Judgment: This may have been a panic move, as reports surfaced that both Quinn and Marbury might not be in their respective rotations. Thabo is an intriguing talent, but probably won't be worth much in the short term. If Quinn really isn't playing, though, Thabo's worth a flyer.

Tsaogrip gets in the act

Tsaogrip 0002 drops Jerry Stackhouse for Etan Thomas

Jerry Stackhouse is 34 and in serious decline. It's hard to imagine that he averaged 29.8 PPG in 2000-1. He was down to 10.7 points last year, and seems to have lost the SG job in Dallas to an unholy combination of Brandon Bass and Jason Terry. He seems likely to average 10/2/2 and provide little else (maybe a 3PG).

Etan Thomas is big, has a heart problem, and, with Brendan Haywood out, appears to have the starting C job in Washington, at least until Blatche improves. He's a lock for 6 and 6, and might get that up to 9 and 9, with 1.5 BLK. Moreover, he's written a book of poetry.

Judgment: The increase in rebounds, blocks and FG% is just what the Doctor ordered for Tsaogrip. The loss of Stackhouse will not be felt. As always, though, with any not very good C, FT% will suffer and there's a lot of PF/TECH/DISQ risk.

Another Move!

Later Hosen drop Michael Finley for Anthony Carter

Michael Finley's, the Hosen's 18th round pick, has been a fantasy stalwart for years, a low-negative, across the board contributor. In his best year, he averaged 22/6/5...but that was 1999. In his heydey, he was a good steal man as well. Finley is now 35, and averaged 10/3/1.5 last year in a pseudo-sixth man type of role. Some have predicted a slight uptick in his numbers with Manu out for a while, but it's unclear if his aging legs will generate more than 11/3/1.5 3s.

Anthony Carter is supposedly the starting PG for the Nuggets. He averaged 8 PTS, 5 AST, and 3 REBs last year, by far his best. At 33, Carter is no spring chicken himself, and though he occasionally has a breakout 21/5/11 line, there's a lot of 7/2/3's in his past.

Judgment: We might be missing something (the Hosen should comment if we are!), but we don't see the 'point' - the Hosen are giving up PTS and 3s to get a few assists and steals. While it's true that they don't need the 3s, they also don't really need assists. Finley may end up on a roster sooner rather than 'Later'.

Night Moves

Later Hosens drop Speights for Nesterovic

The first move of the year! At last.

Marreesse Speights, the 16th overall pick of the (real) draft and the Hosen's 19th round pick, is a good prospect, and has had an eye opening preseason, but is not poised to be a fantasy force for some time (though Mo Cheeks is apparently high on him). Realistically, he's unlikely to get many minutes right off the bat with Brand, Dalembert, Ratliff, and I think Reggie Evans playing. They'll all get injured, but probably not at the same time.

Rasho is an old Waiver Wire standby, though not a sexy one. He was, it should be noted, a beast in March (13/7/1BLK) and April (16/7/1). 10 and 5 is a reasonable expectation. It turns out he was the 17th overall pick in 1998 (i.e., he's old). Other recent 17th overall picks: Jermaine O'Neal, Aaron McKie, Desmond Mason, Josh Smith, Danny Granger.

Judgment: Clearly a winning move by the Hosen. With a somewhat thin frontcourt, they can't wait around for Speights to mature, or Dalembert to hurt himself. Rasho should get plenty of minutes (T-Murph and Jeff Foster are the other big men in IND) and will be a help. By the way, I just found out that Kevin Love is white. I'm a bit shocked.

Trade Winds Blow!

Okafor and Lou Williams for Gooden and Tony Parker

The Lovin' Spoonful sought to acquire some blocks, and was willing to give up some points in the process. Nor'easter needed a boost in points, and had big men to spare.

The Players:

Okafor is injury prone, and a truly terrible FT shooter, but offers significant value in BLK, REB and FG%. He's only 26, and his role is wholly secure in Charlotte. I would think that 14/10 with 2 BPG is a relatively conservative projection.

Williams is in his third year, and remains the Sixer's sixth man. Playing behind Andre Miller and A-Ig means that a significant increase in minutes is unlikely, but Williams has shown that he can provide production in limited time. His inconsistent role will be frustrating, but he should average 12 points and 4 assists, with a 3PG.

Gooden is quite consistent and should be a lock for 12 and 9, with reasonable PCTs. He's certainly going to play a lot, even if Noah and Tyrus demand court time for the Bulls. It's worth noting, given occasional attitude problems in his career, that he's in a contract year.

Tony Parker, the Walloon, is quite consistent, and might even improve his numbers with Manu out for a while. He's good for 19 and 7 with a steal per game and a good FG% for a guard. He doesn't shoot the 3 (or rebound).

Analysis:

This trade should help both teams - Williams is a bit of a wildcard - the Spoonful is betting that he can get closer to 1.5 3s, but the others are basically known quantities. Okafor provides about a BPG and one or two RPG more than Gooden, and Parker should get 6 more points and a couple more assists per game than Williams. The Spoonful can handle the poor FT% and loss in points and assists in order to get a few blocks and to speculate on 3s. Nor'easter had expendable blocks, and will gain in points and assists.

Some News - Late Sunday Night

camby out?

It looks like the garbage speaker's Marcus Camby may be out for week 1. A huge blow to the speakers, who look to be in a tight rebounding battle against The Lovin' Spoonful. This could give the Spoonful a couple extra points for the week. Does anyone else really benefit? Perhaps. 1) Chris Kaman has less competion for rebouds, and 2) since Tim Thomas is injured as well, they might move Al Thornton over to PF and play Ricky Buckets at SF.

 

dunleavy out - marquis in

My$hkin's Mike Dunleavy is also likely out for at least the opener, and perhaps both of Indiana's games in Week 1, giving Les Digits some hope in a few categories. Importantly, The Later Hosen's Marquis Daniels is filling in, which makes the Hosen favorites to win steals against tsaogrip.

Weekly Forecast -- Week 1

The Later Hosens vs. tsaogrip 0002

General: The defending champs face a tough matchup in Week 1. 2nd Round pick Danny Granger only plays two games, while tsaogrip has 2 top 4-gaming Bucks in Michael Redd and R-Jeff (though only 2 games from VC and C-Booz). Tsaogrip also has a significant Sunday game advantage.

Injuries: None yet.

Categories:

Tsaogrip should win AST, PTS, FGM, FTM, and FT%

The Hosen should win 3s, DREB, BLK

Toss ups -- OREB, STL, TO, PF, FG%

What to watch for:

(The Hosen's Joakim Noah)

For the Hosen, all eyes will be on the young frontcourt (Oden, Love, Noah) and their minutes. The roles of Russell Westbrook, Nate Robinson, Flip, Marquis, and Marreese will also be under scrutiny. Look for J-Salm and Matt Barnes to light it up, but how much will they contribute outside of points?

As for tsaogrip - he'll be watching the Knicks SFs (Q-Rich and W-Chandler) to see how things shake out, and looking to see how much and how well Yi and Diaw play.

Fearless Prediction: I think the young Hosen will step up on the glass, and win OREBs, but at the expense of the negatives: Final Score tsaogrip 8 - Hosen 6

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Nor'easter vs. Mongoose

General: An intriguing matchup - those of you who read the 'First Look' series know that we thought quite highly of both these teams' drafts. Both teams are huge in the frontcourt. Nor'easter gets 4 games from Bogut, but only 2 from Emeka, DevHarr, and Duncan. Mongoose has 4 from C-Vill, but only 2 from Okur and D-Will; overall, the games situation in general, and on Sunday in particular, is pretty even.

Injuries: Mongoose will be without Martell webster until December, it seems; Deron Williams' appears out for Week 1; if he does play, it could make a big difference. Baron Davis is questionable. Thaddeus Young has a hurt back. Nor'easter is missing Monta Ellis indefinitely.

Categories:

Nor'easter should win AST, FTM, FG%

Mongoose should win TO, PF, FT%, 3s, STL

Toss ups -- OREB, DREB, PTS, BLK, FGM

(Nor'easter's Devin Harris)

What to watch for: Being without D-Will hurts the Goose's chances of winning PTS and FGM. Any Disq's could make a big difference, and with such big-man heavy teams, there will surely be some. The Mongoose will be curious to see Thaddeus Young, Baron Davis in LA, and young Mr. Bynum. Are Tyrus Thomas and Brandon Bass really starting? We'll see. For Nor'easter, the minutes of Jarrett Jack, Al Thornton, Pietrus, and RudyFer are worth monitoring.

Fearless Prediction: Without Williams, and with B-Dizzle 'questionable', Nor'easter will prevail: Final Score Nor'easter 9 - Mongoose 6

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Les Digits vs. play my$hkin flute

General: Unfortunately, I don't think this one will be so close. I think my$hkin just has more minutes on the floor this week. Les Digits has only 2 games from Jamison, Chauncey, J-Smoove, Horford, and T-Murph. That will prove too much to overcome, I suspect, in the counting categories.

Injuries: my$hkin will be without Larry Hughes, and Dunleavy is banged up. Les Digits has no Manu, J-Smoove might be limited, and MarvWill is suspended for the first game of the season.

Categories:

Les Digits should win TO, PF

my$hkin should win PTS, FGM, FTM, FG%, FT%, AST, STL, BLK, 3s

Toss ups -- OREB, DREB

(my$hkin's Chris Duhon)

What to watch for: Les Digits needs to see how the minutes situations of Conley, D-Rose, and Varejao shake out. My$hkin will be looking to see how much run Kelenna, Duhon, Posey, and Mayo get, and how they respond

Fearless Prediction: No doubt about the outcome: Final Score my$hkin 10 - Les Digits 4

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blazers (thenopp) vs. odensque

General: This one should be interesting*. Both teams are more or less at full strength, and thenopp will outscore odensque by quite a bit. However, the big men of odensque (Brand, Dalembert, Big Z) may very well be enough to make this a fight.

*assuming lineups are set

Injuries: thenopp is without Agent Zero for a while, and Carmelo is apparently suspended for the first two games. Odensque will be without the services of Brad Miller, who's suspended for 5 games.

Categories:

thenopp should win PTS, FT, FGM, FT%,

odensque should win OREB, DREB, BLK, STL, TO

Toss ups -- 3s, PF, FG%, AST

(thenopp's Wally Szczerbiak)

What to watch for: odensque is very interested to how see the new look Sixers gel with Brand and Dalembert. He'll need good weeks from preseason disappointments Marion and Moon in order to win blocks, and will be looking carefully at the minutes and play of B-Simmons and Bayless. Thenopp needs to see whether rookies B-Lopez and Marc Gasol will help shore up his thin frontcourt - and whether aging veterans Hill, Mobley, and Szczerbiak can contribute this year.

Fearless Prediction: I think thenopp will win 3s and AST, but either JO or Hinrich will fatally DISQ: Final Score: odensque 8 - thenopp 7

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garbage speakers vs. The Lovin' Spoonful

General: garbage speakers may suffer from C-But, J-Rich, AK-47, and J-Rich only having two games, though the Spoonful also have some key 2-gamers (Bibby, Parker, R. Brewer). I think the Spoonful will outscore the speakers, and win via the counting stats, but the margin of victory will come down to rebounds.

Injuries: Only Francisco Garcia is out for the speakers, though Camby hasn't played in the preseason. On the Spoonful side, Wade and Bosh are forever day to day, and Little K-Mart, Ben Gordon, and Beno are slightly banged up.

(garbage speaker's Kyle Korver)

Categories:

The Lovin' Spoonful should win PTS, FTM, FGM, FT%, AST

garbage speakers should win TO, PF, BLK

Toss ups -- 3s, STL, FG%, OREB, DREB

What to watch for: garbage speakers wants to see Camby and Artest thrive in their new environs, and will be curious about the roles of Terry and Odom. Spencer Hawes might be huge this week with Brad Miller out. The Lovin' Spoonful want to see how much Hakim Warrick plays, how well LaMarcus fits in with Oden, and what's up with supposedly starting Chris Quinn. Starbury's role is also in question, and which Bargnani will show up this year?

Fearless Prediction: Sadly, Hawes will grab a lot of boards (and Carl Landry(?) won't) - Final Score: The Lovin' Spoonful 8 - garbage speakers 6

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The first Waiver Wire pickups will be tonight/tomorrow; I'll be sure to review who did what, and why...

First Look -- Mongoose

Quick Draft Summary: The 'goose went for a number of youngsters, and this years squad will be more big-man heavy than in years past. I think we were all prepared for another 9 PG draft from Mongoose after he picked D-Will and Baron with the 'wheel' picks, but then it was Center madness. Did the 'goose get the balance right? Is the title headed to to Indiana/New Jersey? Read On!

Frontcourt: Bynum (3), Kaman(5), Okur (6), Beasley(7), Scola (13), Tyrus (14)

Bynum will be good, but this seemed (and seems) a reach - a bold move though. Similarly, though Kaman was a beast on the boards last year, one has to think Camby's presence in LA will diminish Kaman's output. Scola and Tyrus may or may not log tons of minutes, but if they do, Mongoose will e just fine in Rebounds and blocks.

Backcourt: D-Will (1), B-Dizzle (2), Rondo (9), Farmar (18), E-Wat (15)

D-Will and Baron are extremely good if healthy, and should be good enough, in conjunction with the bench, to keep Mongoose in the hunt in assists most weeks. Baron and Rajon both provide mad steals, but most of the other 'geese are less interested in defense.

Swingmen: Gay (4), S-Jax (8), Villanueva (10)

Gay was a steal here - he'll provide 2nd round value without question. He may prove to be the best player on the team. There's talk of playing S-Jax as a 'point forward' which may make him more well rounded as a fantasy player. C-Vill is very tall and hits 3s, which renders him very exciting to us, but he hasn't put it together for a full season yet. I've seen some folks very high on him, and production from him could make a big difference.

X-Factors: JR Smith (12), Thaddeus Young (11), Brandon Bass (16)

Mongoose is very well balanced, and just needs a couple folks to up their production in order to make a run into the playoffs. Presumably some of the youngsters will make that leap (though others may fade away). Many are quite high all three of these folks, in particular on Thaddeus (I don't know anything about him, to be honest). If any of these late rounders steps up in a serious way, and the health concerns of the early draftees don't become issues, I predict a fine year for Mongoose.

Strengths: BLK, AST, REB, FG%

Weaknesses: PTS, STL, FTM, PTS

Best Pick: S-Jax (8) - at worst, he's a sixth round value, and could be even better if they play him at 'Point Forward'

Worst Pick: Beasley (7) - too early for a rookie, I think, or Bynum (3)

First Look -- The Later Hosens

Quick Draft Summary: The reigning (and only 3-time) champs landed KG with the 9th overall pick, then went with up and coming Danny Granger in the second, getting a lot of production in every category; however, solid value picks in the early rounds may have left the champs thin up the middle.

Frontcourt: Garnett (1), D-West (3) Oden (6), Kevin Love (9), Noah (11), Haslem (14)

Garnett and West are both terrific 20/10 types with fine %s. Haslem should be good for a double double. I'm really not sure what to expect from Oden, Love or Noah, but I'm not convinced there's enough here to compete in rebounds or blocks.

Backcourt: T-Mac (5), TJ Ford (8), Rafer (12), R Westbrook (15), Nate-Rob (16)

T-Mac had a nice comeback season last year and, health permitting, should continue to generate numbers in PTS, 3s, AST, and REBs. His STL days are done, and his percentages are getting worse, however. Ford and Rafer should generate a lot of assists and steals, but are prone to hurt in FG%, and are prone to hurt in general. Westbrook's a bit of a wild-card, though he should be productive, for some of the year, and I think Nate Rob will be great this year, but that might just mean more 3s and PTS.

Swingmen: Granger (2), Pierce (4), Peja (7), Salmons (10)

The trick with taking Garnett early is you have to make up for his lack (relative to other 1st rounders) of points later on in the draft. The Hosen are trying to make it up with these guys. If Pierce or Peja can get back up to 20PPG, it would go a long way to making that happen. However, neither is likely to carry the load as they've been asked to in the past, and a point increase may not be in the cards. I have nothing to say about J-Salm, except that he's solid - I love the pick.

X-Factors: Barnes (13), Finley (18)

These two should contribute 1.5 3s each at a minimum, which along with T-Mac, Granger, Pierce, and Rafer, should give the Hosens a real strength with the 3-ball.

Strengths: 3s, Ast, FT%, PF

Weaknesses: REB, BLK, FG%, PTS

Best Pick: Peja (7) - Good value here

Worst Pick: I was going to say Love (9), but there really weren't good alternatives. Maybe Oden, just becuase there were good alternatives...

First Look -- The Lovin' Spoonful

 

Quick Draft Summary: After starting with Wade and Bosh, the Spoonful, went, in turn, for two scorers, two centers, a mess of crappy PGs, and complete chaos at the end. The result is a lot of Points and Steals, decent Reb and Assists, with typical deficiencies in Blocks and 3s

Frontcourt: Bosh (2), LaMarcus (5), D-Lee (6), Gooden (12), Bargnani (14)

Questions abound about Bosh's injury status and how he'll fit with Jermaine, and also with LaMarcus and Oden. Gooden and Lee should be solid double doubles. Bargnani is a question mark, but even if he's good he doesn't rebound. I think another 10RPG man is necessary to compete in rebs, as my swingmen do not contribute much. No true shotblockers, though, which spells 'crappy C's on waivers' in the Spoonful future.

Backcourt: Wade (1), Bibby (7), Parker (8), Udrih (11), Ridnour (16)

There are more health risks here, and precious few 3 pointers. If Ridnour keeps his job, there should be enough assists and steals (with R-Brewer pitching in there).

Swingmen: Little K-Mart (3), Durant (4), R.Brewer (10)

Brewer could take a big step forward and score more to go with his great %s and STLs (though still no 3s). Martin's really a pure scorer, but with fine %s and low negatives. Durant adds rebounding, and both a steal and block per game, and may get even better.

X-Factors: Ben Gordon (9), Warrick (13), Stuckey (15), A. Johnson (17), Marbury (18)

To have any hope of competing in the big man cats, the Spoonful needs Warrick to play and pull down rebounds, and needs Johnson to start and get a lot of blocks (and for neither of them to DISQ as much as usual). Ben Gordon's role is uncertain, but he should produce a mess of 3s, which is of course the point. Stuckey's really just a scorer, as far as I know,but should contribute in assists, if they give him minutes. Starbury's a huge question, but he can still (sometimes) play, and his 3s would be welcome.

Strengths: PTS, AST, STL, FGM, FTM, FT%

Weaknesses: DREB, 3s, BLK, TO

Best Pick: Bibby (7) - I think he'll return to 2005-6 form  and get 18/5 w/2 3's and good %s

Worst Pick: Lee (6) - should have taken a PG (Harris, A.Miller) or a shot blocker (Emeka, G-Wallace)

First Look -- odensque

Quick Draft Summary: Another strange draft for Owen -- he largely went for big men early, with some key all-rounders (Marion/Lewis). It looks like there's not enough production on the bench without some improvements, but a lack of minutes may keep the negatives low, Lil Dogger style.

Frontcourt: Brand (1), Sheed (5), B-Miller (7), Dalembert (8), Big Z (10)

There's a lot of Blocks here (and the Matrix adds more still), and pretty good rebounding. This may be the year when Sheed, B-Mill, and the Big Z decline precipitously, however, and Brand is coming off a serious injuy. Also, no one knows if the Haitian Sensation will fit in with Brand or not.

Backcourt: Calderon (4), Mo Williams (6), Bayless (15)

Some think Calderon will put up Nash-like numbers this year, and he might. Even so, that will likely not be enough to get Odensque in contention for assists or steals most weeks, unless, of course Bayless turns out to be an assist machine (which seems unlikely).

Swingmen: Marion (2), Rashard (3), Rip (9), Battier (11), Raja Bell (14)

Many expect a decline from Marion in Miami, and Rashard didn't produce as well in ORL as he had as a Sonic. Rip is no longer a 20PPG player (maybe no one on this team is, except perhaps Brand). Battier now has Artest ahead of him, but he and Raja still will hit plenty of 3's with low negatives.

X-Factors: Bobby Simmons (16), Jamario Moon (12), Ben Wallace (17), T-Out (13)

Simmons, Moon, and Outlaw all have high multi-cat upside, but have question marks as well. Big Ben is probably just dead weight, but we all have fond memories of crazy 7 block, 5 steal games - maybe there are a few more left.

Strengths: 3s, BLK, TO, REB, FT%

Weaknesses: PTS, FT, FGM, FG%, AST

Best Pick: Outlaw (13) - he's going to force his way onto the court

Worst Pick: Sheed (5) In our league, 'Sheed's negatives (esp. Techs) should push him down a few rounds

First Look -- nor'Easter

Quick Draft Summary: Nor'Easter went big - real big - taking 4 top centers and 4 more towards the end of the draft. But he wisely complemented this with strong PGs and solid scorers. At this early juncture, this is the team to beat. Nice work, Joel

Frontcourt: Dwight Howard (1), Duncan (3), Okafor (7), Bogut (8)

That's a lot of missed free throws, but that's really the only downside here. No team can compete with Nor'Easter in either of the REB categories or BLK. FG% is probably in the bag as well. Thus, every week starts with a 4-1 lead, which will be hard to overcome. Especially since these C's get the line a lot, and should help (with Maggs and J-John) to provide a FTM advantage as well.

Backcourt: Nash (2), Harris (6), Foye (9), Nelson(10), Jack (19)

Nash is aging, but should still put up 10 APG, Foye and Nelson were very disappointing last year, Jack may not play much behind TJ Ford (especially if the Pacers have to play Tinsley), but is helpful if he gets minutes. If Harris is as good as expected, these PGs will keep Nor'Easter competitive in AST and make them very hard to beat indeed.

Swingmen: Joe Johnson (4), Maggette (5)

These guys should be very helpful - together with the C's they should get FTM, and provide enough points and FGs to compete. However, the team is basically punting 3s, as far as I can see.

X-Factors: Maxiell (16), Blatche (18), Monta Ellis (12) Al Thornton (11), Pietrus (14), RudyFern (13)

Maxiell, Thornton, and Blatche wlll surely break out sometime, but is this the year? Monta's injury is serious and we don't know how effective he will be upon his return. Pietrus could surprise now on a new team and finally live up to his promise. No one knows what Rudy will do, but everyone agrees he's badass.

Strengths: REB, BLK, FTM, FGM, FG%

Weaknesses: FT%, 3s, STL, TO, PF

Best Pick: Louis Williams (15) - I love Louis (I also love Pietrus!)

Worst Pick: Jeff Foster (17) - good value, but unnecessary on this team

First Look -- my$hkin

Quick Draft Summary: My$hkin grabbed C's (or near C's) in Pau and Dirk early, and a solid PG in AI, then went for shooters and value. The lower half of his draft has a lot of upside. 3 Nuggets may not be enough!

Frontcourt: Dirk (1), Pau (3), T-Chand (8), Nene (10), K-Mart (12), Wilcox (14), Millsap (15)

A lot depends on the health of Nene and K-Mart, and that's not a good sign. Really, only Pau and T-Chand are likely to get 10 RPG (Dirk might be close). I fear there's not enough depth to be a rebounding force unless everyone listed really steps up -- I'm more optimistic about the blocks, however, and about FG%. Dirk's excellent FT% (and qty) should more than cancel out T-Chand's futility from the stripe.

Backcourt: AI (2), Leandro (9), Duhon (14)

Really only AI, A-Ig, and DuDu are likely to hit 5 APG, which is worrisome. Luckily, Dunleavy and Wallace will chip in some, but more PG depth will be required to compete in AST. Steals, on the other hand will be in the bag most weeks, as G-Wall, AI, A-Ig, and even Larry Hughes are among the best thieves out there. We shouldn' forget just how often AI still gets to the line. What's less clear is DuDu's role, and whether he'll be any good even if he plays -- he certainly hasn't been effective in Chicago.

Swingmen: A-Ig (3), Dunleavy (5), G-Wallace (6), Allen(7)

Plenty of points here, and 3s from Dunleavy ad Allen (and Barbosa, of course). I think FTM, FGM and PTS will usually be in my$hkin' s column. Wallace carries some risk, of course, and Allen is declining, but I think these were superb value picks. Dunleavy's coming off a career year, but I don't see any reason he can't do it again.

X-Factors: OJ Mayo (11), Larry Hughes (20), Azubuike (18), Ariza (17), Posey (16)

Mayo could really help the my$hkin backcourt if he performs. Hughes can still produce (and steal!) when healthy. Kelenna, T-Ariz, and Posey may all see more opportunity than last year, and could put up useful across the board numbers.

Strengths: 3s, STL, FT, FG%, TO, PTS, FG

Weaknesses: REB, BLK, AST

Best Pick: A-Ig (4) -- Iggy Hop is very solid, and may be a steal here. I also like the T-Chand (8), Allen (7), and Kelenna (18) picks

Worst Pick: Millsap (15) - he's got talent, but unless Boozer goes down again, I'm not sure he's going to play much.

First Look -- garbage speakers

Quick Draft Summary: Autodrafting got the speakers some good values, but no point guards. With a number of all-round contibutors, however, the speakers look well balanced, if rich in question marks.

Frontcourt: Camby (3), Odom (6), Biedrins (7), Kirilenko (8), Hawes (16), McDyess (17)

If Camby stays healthy and dominant, then the rest of these guys can make the speakers competitive in the big-man categories, perhaps even dominant in blocks. These are not big point scorers, however, so LeBron and the other SFs will be counted on for scoring. I'm not sure it will be enough.

Backcourt: Marcus Wiliams (13), Ramon Sessions (15), Antonio Daniels (19)

Well, luckily LeBron provides plenty of assists, and C-But is a steal machine (as might Artest be), because this is a bad scene, PG wise. M-Will may start, but is apparently in Don Nelson's doghouse after a terrible preseason. Sessions appears not to be starting...or backing up. Daniels will be solid while Arenas is out, but by no means spectacular.

Swingmen: LeBron(1), C-But(2), J-Rich(3)

The speakers were one of two teams not to draft a PG or C in the first 3 rounds, and these are indeed three outstanding players. They contribute all around, but as noted above, they may be the only players to average > 16 PPG on the team (depending on the 'X-Factors' below)

X-Factors: Artest(5), Korver(20), Terry(9)

Artest is the ultimate X-Factor, and could, as always, provide first round value, or retire to pursue his rap career. Korver's getting no love this pre-season, but might give quite a boost in 3s. Jason Terry is extremely productive, but is seemingly always in danger of losing minutes. Other sources of uncertainty include Odom, who is supposedly coming off the bench, and Camby, who is on a new(old) team, and 'day to day'.

Gomes(12), Parker(11), Nocioni(18) and Green(14) could all be boom or bust as well.

Strengths: 3s, STL, BLK

Weaknesses: FGM, PTS, FT%

Best Pick: Daniels (19) -- much needed PG help came late. I also like Hawes (16)

Worst Pick: Garcia (10) -- he's hurt, and there were plenty of similar players available later.

First Look -- thenopp

Quick Draft Summary: What's not to like? Starting with Kobe, thenopp took a lot of big name, big-time scorers. A lot of veterans means a lot of injury risk, but todd has benefited from such risky behavior in the past...

Frontcourt: Yao (2), JamsO'Neal (7), Z-Bo (9),

Color me unconvinced. While extraordinarily talented, Yao has not proven durable, and seems likely, especially after the olympics, to miss some time this year. Jermaine might benefit from a change of scene, but he's missed quite a bit of time as well. Z-Bo too will likely miss 10 games or so, though he still can rebound mightily. The two rookies (Marc Gasol and Brook Lopez) may contribute, but might very well struggle. A lack of frontcourt depth is compounded by a glut of non-rebounding SG types (though Kidd will help).I suspect thenopp will fail to compete in Rebounds and BLK most weeks.

Backcourt: Kidd (4), Arenas(10), Hinrich (11), Boobie Gibson (18)

If Kidd is his usual self, and Hinrich holds off Derrick Rose, and Arenas comes back healthy, there just might be enough AST here to compete. Steals? I'm not so sure.

Swingmen: Kobe (1), Carmelo (3), Turkoglu (5), Miller (6), JamsCraw(8), Hill (12), McCants (14), Kleiza (15), Mobley (16), Szczerbiak (20)

Kobe and Carmelo are terrific and thenopp should have no trouble scoring, and thoroughly dominating 3s, with this firepower. What's interesting is that usually the 3point dominant teams are also low TO, in the little doggers style, but thenopp has some TO machines (Kobe, Kidd, Yao, Carmelo, Crawford, Hinrich). We'll see how it balances out. I suspect thenopp will trade some 3s for either PG or C depth.

X-Factors: Brook Lopez (13), Marc Gasol(17)

Mostly this team consists of known, if declining quantities. The two rookie big men need to step up to give thenopp some depth in the middle. Obviously, Arenas's return, and the health and/or decline of Kidd/O'Neal/Mike Miller will be crucial to thenopp's success

Strengths: 3s, FGM, PTS, FTM, FT%

Weaknesses: FG%, STL, BLK

Best Pick: Kidd (4) - todd knows how to use Kidd's strengths and compensate for his weaknesses - he should provide good value here.

Worst Pick: Jermaine (7) - a number of better C's were available at at this point

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.

First Look --Tsaogrip 2000

Quick Draft Summary: After whining about having the first pick, and then confidently picking CP3, Tim shored grabbed two solid C's (Al-Jeff, Boozer), then high scoring swingmen (VC, Redd). He then made a number of high-upside picks in the second half (Yi, Q-Rich, W-Chandler, Diaw)

Frontcourt: Al-Jeff (3), C-Booz (2), and Baby Al (8), K-Perk (12), Yi (15)
While Jefferson and Boozer are elite rebounders, they have both missed time in recent years. There's not a lot of rebounding depth on Tsaogrip, however. They've got to hope to get 7/g from Wilson Chandler, Yi and Harrington to compete in REBs. Similarly, in Blocks, Al-Jeff and Perkins should swat, but noone else (aside from perhaps Yi and Chandler) looks to be a blocker. A center from the wire (Etan Thomas?) or trading one of several 'all-rounders' for a solid center, would appear to be a good plan

Backcourt: CP3 (1), DreMil (6), Felton (11), Fish (19)
Chris Paul is very very good, and though this is not the deepest crop of PGs, they should excel in AST and Steals, since a lot of the team's swingmen are likely to contribute (VC, Diaw, Delonte). Fisher is in decline, and Felton has been a disappointment, but could provide value, given where they were picked. Miller should have a fine year. Another problem is that neither Felton nor Miller shoot the 3 much (and Paul only 1/G), so it will take a return to form from Q-Rich, along with solid contributions from Redd and Baby Al for Tsaogrip to be competitive in 3s.

Swingmen: VC (4), Redd (5), Howard(7), R-Jeff(9), Tayshaun(10)
This is the strength of the team. By picking CP 1st, then C's in rounds 2 and 3, Tim was able to take the best available player in rounds 4-10 (perhaps at the expense of depth in the 'specialty' positions, as noted above), and got what looks to be good value (esp. Howard, I think). Obviously, VC is an injury and attitude risk, but can do a lot, and is most certainly the #1 option in NJ. We'll see how R-Jeff and Redd share the load in Milwaukee, but it's likely they'll both produce at te 20/4/3 level. I love Howard, despite his off-court issues, and expect 20/6/2. We shouldn't discount the solid Pct's most of these players provide, with few fouls, and contributions across the stat-sheet.

X-Factors: Q-Rich (17), Wilson Chandler (14), Delonte West (16), Diaw(13)
Chandler's a highly-touted sophomore, and has been compared to Shawn Marion. Tim has smartly hedged by grabbing Q-Rich as well, ensuring he'll have a monopoly on Knicks SF minutes. Diaw, West and Q-Rich have all proven in the past that they can provide top 50 value (or totally suck). Much will hinge on their performance for Tsaogrip, soon to be renamed 'Isiah's Pills'.

Strengths: AST, PTs, FGM, FT%, PF -- a shortage of traditional big men means fewer fouls and better FT%
Weaknesses: Blocks, OREB, DREB, FG%

Best Pick: J-Howard (7th)
Worst Pick: Sun Yue? (18th)