Rim Jobs (Jonathan Montgomery)
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| How bright is the future in Lakerland? |
2016 Regular Season: 4-12 (11th)
2016 Playoffs: None
Extended Contracts: Kemba Walker
(2yrs, $29), Kevin Love (1yr, $73)
Expiring Contracts: Elfrid
Payton (R, $10)
Intriguing Players:
Victor Oladipo (2yrs, $25), D'Angelo Russell (1yr, $10), Derrick Rose
(2yrs, $20), Brandon Ingram (2yrs, $10), Kris Dunn (2yrs, $10)
NBA
Comparison: Philadelphia
76ers
Philadelphia has been rebuilding for some time now and it looks like this is the year where things will finally start to change. Expectations should be higher but how high is still somewhat of a mystery.
They've collected nice, young talent for the last few years. Covington, Noel and Okafor have proven to be good NBA players. Despite that, it is their newest addition, Simmons, who seems to be their franchise player. If he is what they expect him to be, they can finally start to move forward.
Philly will most likely miss the playoffs this year but their fan base is going to want to see an uptick in the wins column for years to come. The playoffs should be a fair goal within the next few seasons.
Oddly enough, their biggest issue now seems to be that they have a lot of redundant talent. Embiid, Noel and Okafor all play center primarily and Simmons' favorite position is only one spot down at the power forward. This put the Sixers in a position where they can no longer turtle up with lottery picks. They must now be proactive and creative.
The
franchise that Monty has inherited has preformed the worst in our
league's history thus far. Across the four completed seasons, this
team has averaged over 12 losses a year and has never made the
playoffs.
Fortunately, through the turmoil, nice assets have been collected. Payton can be expected to be a starter for the next few years. Russell is in the running to be the face of the Lakers franchise. Walker and Oladipo are legitimate studs and have two of the best value contracts in the JBL. With the recent addition of rookies Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn, each dancing with starters minutes right off the bat, Monty might have the most intriguing collection out of all of us.
Fortunately, through the turmoil, nice assets have been collected. Payton can be expected to be a starter for the next few years. Russell is in the running to be the face of the Lakers franchise. Walker and Oladipo are legitimate studs and have two of the best value contracts in the JBL. With the recent addition of rookies Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn, each dancing with starters minutes right off the bat, Monty might have the most intriguing collection out of all of us.
It has been a long, bumpy road but after four seasons of rebuilding, it looks like the flowers are starting to bloom for team Rim Jobs.
Monty is
a smart guy and has shown that he can put together a contender quickly. On top of that, his new team has assets out the wazoo. When good poker players get good hands, good things usually happen.
Much
like the Sixers, I think this is the year that the franchise starts
trending up. Monty just has to figure out how to fix his similar
issue of having too many studs at the same position. Only for him, it will be point guards that he will be dealing with.
Ultimately, it all depends on what strategy Monty decides to implement but at the very least I expect this team to be respectable and growing in the right direction. I'm very interested to see how it all shakes out. Regardless, with the most cap space in the league this team has the most boom potential. I expect at least 800 fantasy points per week this coming season.
Ultimately, it all depends on what strategy Monty decides to implement but at the very least I expect this team to be respectable and growing in the right direction. I'm very interested to see how it all shakes out. Regardless, with the most cap space in the league this team has the most boom potential. I expect at least 800 fantasy points per week this coming season.
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| Is DeRozan a superstar? |
2016 Fantasy Total: 13,917 (6th)
2016 Regular Season: 7-9 (8th)
2016 Playoffs: First Round
Extended Contracts: DeMar
DeRozan (2yrs, $19), Eric Bledsoe (2yrs, $24)
Expiring Contracts: Deron
Williams (FA, $41), Reggie Jackson (FA, $1), Jordan Hill (FA, $1),
Dwight Howard (FA, $63)
Intriguing Players:
Rajon Rondo (2yrs, $8), Robert Covington (1yr, $0), Al-Farouq Aminu
(2yrs, $3), Taureen Prince (2yrs, $0)
NBA
Comparison: Portland
Trailblazers
The Blazers surprised a lot of people last season. Just a year ago, they lost three starters in LeMarcus Alderige,
Wesley Matthews, and Nicolas Batum. The team truly became Damien Lillard's and, with the help of the emergence of a few teammates, the team excelled. Portland
finished 5th
in the the tougher conference and even won a playoff
series. Plumlee,
Aminu, and Crabbe stepped up, McCollum erupted, and Lillard cemented
himself as a top tier NBA player.
Despite all this, Portland still remains a unpopular free agent destination. Putting the Trailblazers in the position of paying more for a baller would who have played for less elsewhere. Unfortunate as they may be, I believe the Blazers improved once again this off-season. Guys like Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli may be overpaid in the eyes of many but it cannot be denied that they are improvements on the roster. Because of all this, Portland will once again be the wild card of the western conference.
Despite all this, Portland still remains a unpopular free agent destination. Putting the Trailblazers in the position of paying more for a baller would who have played for less elsewhere. Unfortunate as they may be, I believe the Blazers improved once again this off-season. Guys like Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli may be overpaid in the eyes of many but it cannot be denied that they are improvements on the roster. Because of all this, Portland will once again be the wild card of the western conference.
In the
four seasons of the Juicy Basketball dynasty league, Danny's franchise has
never missed the playoffs. Danny took on this team just two years ago and
already has a playoff win. Looking at the roster, it is easy to see
why. There are a lot of valuable contracts here, two of the most valuable being the extended contracts.
Since extended contracts are the most important contracts, Danny has one of the healthiest salary distributions of us all.
Since extended contracts are the most important contracts, Danny has one of the healthiest salary distributions of us all.
Despite his injury concerns, I like Eric
Bledsoe at 2 years for $24. It's a short and sweet contract for an elite player that should just about cover his prime. Even more though, I love the deal with DeMar DeRozan. I have a weakness for elite wing players. Much like with running backs in fantasy football, because it is the scarcest position, it is the most valuable to lock down. Because we have $300 to spend on 15 player, we can spend $20 on an average rosterable player. Last year, DeRozan was the second highest scoring shooting guard, behind only James Harden. A guy like that for $19 is an absolute steal.
Despite how bad Chicago may be, Rondo should continue to put up good fantasy stats. Robert Covington remains a starter with an new, elite distributor playing next to him. And Dwight Howard has the potential to have his best year since his days in Orlando.
Much like the Blazers, Danny seems to be attracted to those guys that everybody else is sleeping on. So far, it has paid dividend to him as it has in Portland. This
team has a strong enough core to fight for the playoffs once again and put up north of 800 fantasy points
per week.
Balls to the
Wall (Brett Lakey)
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| Can John Wall be the best player on a championship team? |
2016 Regular Season: 9-7 (T-4th)
2016 Playoffs: First Round
Extended Contracts: Kyle Lowry
(3yrs, $42), John Wall (2yrs, $40), Kenneth Faried (1yr, $19), Serge
Ibaka (1yr, $63)
Expiring Contracts: Nicolas
Batum (E, $16), Doug McDermott (R, $10)
Intriguing Players:
Otto Porter Jr. (2yrs, $16), LaMarcus Aldridge (2yrs, $64), Robin
Lopez (1yr, $5), Michael Carter-Williams (2yrs, $16), Darren Collison
(2yrs, $3), Nikola Mirotic (1yr, $11)
NBA
Comparison: Atlanta
Hawks
The
Hawks continue to be one of the most compelling teams in the Eastern Conference.
LeBron James has made 6 straight finals appearances and he is favored
to make that 7 this year. Since the days of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, Atlanta has been in the discussion
as possible team to dethrone James. With the signing of Dwight Howard and the emergence of Dennis Schroder, I believe Atlanta has never had a better chance of reaching the finals.
There is a lot to dislike about Dwight Howard but his return to the east has really been understated. In his last two years in Orlando, he went to the Eastern Conference Finals or further. Even if his talent has dropped off some since, Atlanta is probably the best team he has ever played for.
Millsap continues to be the most underrated post player in the league. Schroder has eventual All-Star potential. And most importantly, the Hawks have been one of the most well-run front offices around. They should only continue to get better as time goes on.
There is a lot to dislike about Dwight Howard but his return to the east has really been understated. In his last two years in Orlando, he went to the Eastern Conference Finals or further. Even if his talent has dropped off some since, Atlanta is probably the best team he has ever played for.
Millsap continues to be the most underrated post player in the league. Schroder has eventual All-Star potential. And most importantly, the Hawks have been one of the most well-run front offices around. They should only continue to get better as time goes on.
Brett
took over this team just last year and has immediately taken Balls to the Wall in
a strong direction. In his first year, he finished 3 spots higher than the franchise had ever finished before. This newfound prosperity should continue since Brett's extended contracts are all elite players on reasonable contracts.
The best thing a fantasy owner can hope for is a small collection of all-stars and Brett has gathered his while maintaining enough cap space to surround them with a strong supporting cast. Otto Porter Jr. is on a value contract. Mirotic is a lock to start in Chicago. Aldridge is a top tier post player.
There is a lot to like here. Just like the Hawks, Brett has established himself as a contender to fight at that next level. I would not be surprised if he gets his first playoff win this season.
Atlanta has been making some daring moves and they have been paying off. Similarly, I have seen Brett's willingness to strike when he knows a good move can be made. I expect him to continue that this coming season. If the opportunity is there, I believe Brett will find a way to add another all-star to his collection.
If that happens, I can see Balls to the Wall elevating beyond that plateau and becoming a true finals contender. Either way, I expect this team to put up no less than 850 fantasy points per week.
The best thing a fantasy owner can hope for is a small collection of all-stars and Brett has gathered his while maintaining enough cap space to surround them with a strong supporting cast. Otto Porter Jr. is on a value contract. Mirotic is a lock to start in Chicago. Aldridge is a top tier post player.
There is a lot to like here. Just like the Hawks, Brett has established himself as a contender to fight at that next level. I would not be surprised if he gets his first playoff win this season.
Atlanta has been making some daring moves and they have been paying off. Similarly, I have seen Brett's willingness to strike when he knows a good move can be made. I expect him to continue that this coming season. If the opportunity is there, I believe Brett will find a way to add another all-star to his collection.
If that happens, I can see Balls to the Wall elevating beyond that plateau and becoming a true finals contender. Either way, I expect this team to put up no less than 850 fantasy points per week.
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