Almost All-Star Break Team Analysis and Recap, part 1
The season is coming into the home stretch. Now might be a good time to remind managers that only the top 6 teams make the winners bracket with a chance to take half the pot. Teams 7-10 battle for the coveted ?king of suck? title in the loosa?s bracket.
Four teams have a shot at the #6 spot. If any key players go down on the teams currently in the 4 and 5 slot go down, that pool can easily grow. So with that in mind, and with a nod to the all star game next weekend, I?m going to start breaking teams down and try to show what they need to do to make DS?s life miserable for the next few weeks.
Tre (60-106-13, 55.5 games back) Baboon Guy
Highlights: won week 7 (8-5) back when Flip Murray was still getting MVP-type numbers.
(* = all star, ** = rookie game, *** = other all-star weekend activity)
Core team:
PG ? *Steve Francis (second round pick, #12 overall)
SG ? *Ray Allen (first round pick, #9 overall)
G ? ***Gary Payton (traded Jamal Crawford and Q Richardson to DS 12/24/03)
PF ? Kwame Brown (FA pickiup 1/4/04)
SF ? Keith Van Horn (traded Tayshaun Prince to I was so high? 12/15/03)
F ? **Carmelo Anthony (traded Jeff McInnis and Rip Hamilton to Kev 12/29/03)
C ? Theo Ratliff (sixth round pick, #52 overall)
U ? Jiri Welsch (FA pickup 12/17/03)
U ? Mark Blount (FA pickup 1/30/04, dropped Michael Ruffin)
U ? **Dwayne Wade (FA pickup 11/23/03, dropped Earl Boykins)
Etc ? **Chris Bosh (ninth round, #89), Mehmet Okur (FA), Nick Van Exel (trade for Arenas), Chris Webber (Fourth round, #32)
Team Tre is the perfect example of how injuries can completely destroy a season, especially when injured players are drafted early. Of his top four draft picks, three (Allen, Arenas, Webber) have spent long stretches on the IL. Van Exel was acquired to replace Arenas and subsequently started showing up for games in street clothes. Add to the list of walking wounded Van Horn, Wade, Bosh, yet to play Webber and the now retired Zo and you have the recipe for last place.
Allen is back and playing well, but with only a handful of weeks left, there?s not much hope for Baboon Guy. Maybe once Webber comes back, serves his suspension, and finally takes the court the team will win another week. Until then opposing managers are going to look forward to an easy 8 or 9 points (that list includes enjoi, Stark, Kev, DS, jbah, and Roncarter).
Unshaven [sucks] (76-106-13, 38 games back) enjoi
PG ? Carlos Arroyo (FA pickup 10/23/03, dropped Mike Dunleavy)
SG ? *AI (second round pick, #11)
G ? ***Jason Richardson (fifth round pick, #50)
PF ? *Jermaine O?Neal (first round pick, #10)
SF ? Jalen Rose (fourth round pick, #31)
F ? Rasheed Wallace (third round pick, #30)
C ? Z Ilgauskas (sixth round pick, #60)
U ? *Kmart ? eighth round pick, #71)
U ? ***Ginobili ? ninth round pick, #90)
U ? Shane Battier ? FA pickup 12/31/03, dropped TJ Ford)
Etc ? Bonzi Wells (FA), Tim Thomas (10th round, #91)
Enjoi drafted well, getting some solid power forwards and AI for points. Unfortunately he forgot about one of the most important positions in fantasy ball, the PG. Marko Jaric, Speedy Claxton, Jeff McInnis, Leandro Barbosa, Rafer Alston are all names that should (and some still could) have been added in place of a couple of Grizzlies playing like dogs. I love Arroyo, but he hasn?t continued his early season stats streak. If you pass it, wins will come.
Over the past month, Rasheed, AI, Jermaine O?Neal, Ginobili and Rose have all played under their capabilities for one reason or another. Rasheed is suffering from Randolphitis with complications from Tradebaitosis. AI and O?Neal have both been hurt. Ginobili started strong but hasn?t produced any top 10 stats in recent months. Rose is still trying to figure out how to be Goose to Vince?s Maverick.
The challenge for enjoi is to work the waiver wire into the 6th seed. He has 6 weeks to make up 17 games. It may be tough, but not impossible.