Team Focus: Buffy

With seven potential 20 point scorers, Buffy is misleadingly ranked only third in PTS. We can't figure out why either. The young trio of Chris Paul, Joe Johnson, and Rashard Lewis complement and cover for each other very well. Paul is the new Jason Kidd, Joe Johnson does it all, and Rashard shoots. Add in savvy veterans Antawn Jamison (PTS, 3PT, REB) and Baron Davis (everything, except FG%) and this team is very solid.

Then you look at rounds 6 and 7, Chris Webber and Shaquille O'Neal, both former #1 NBA picks, both former ROY. Both still capable of near 20-10 seasons, even if they are injury prone. It's amazing how far Shaq slipped. The big man does have some issues, but he's still a force in head-to-head leagues.

Keeping with his "I'm sticking to my board" strategy, Buffy GM Roger was able to get value picks like Webber, Shaq and the underappreciated Cuttino Mobley, along with upside loaded talents like Jamal Crawford, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, and Stromile Swift in the late rounds. Of course, all four of the latter players have been mostly teases throughout their careers, but they are all calculated gambles.

With a roster stacked with talent and names, Buffy is pretty good at everything. They are near the top in PTS, AST, REB and spectacular at STL. FT% is dead last, but if Shaq doesn't get off the bench for Buffy, that number can rise at any time. TO is also a concern but when you have playmakers like Paul, Joe Johnson, and Baron Davis, you've pretty much committed to punting that category.

It looks like Buffy has a versatile team capable of mixing and matching with any other team in the league. It'll be interesting to see which teases pan out for Buffy and how the players are deployed each week in their quest for a basketball championship (to go along with a few football ones).

Best pick: Antawn Jamison in Rd4.
Future star: none.
Steal: Shaquille O'Neal in Rd7.
Questionable: none.
NBA copycat: Miami Heat.

Team Focus: Human Amoebas

Dirk Nowitski is a true all around fantasy threat. He contributes mightily in every category and shoots great percentages. Plus, he's the focal point of a winning franchise and squarely in his prime. Eric-A chose Dirk over a slew of talented options such as Kobe, Marion, and Garnett and that seems to be an excellent decision. The problem isn't going to be Dirk this season, but what the team looks like around him.

Jason Kidd is also a multi-category star but he's not really a huge PTS producer. Amare Stoudemire as a second rounder is amazing value if he returns to even 80% of his previous statistics but that could be a big "if." Picks 3-6 were also pretty solid, with defensive force Ben Wallace joining straight shooting Rip Hamilton and 20/10 producer Zach Randolph.

At this point in the draft, the Human Amoebas were looking pretty strong, albeit with some outside shooting deficiencies. Ideally, the 7th and 8th round selections of Raja Bell and Quentin Richardson would be the answer here, but there are concerns about both. They were the surprise 3PT shooting sensations of the last two years, but can they do it again?

Many owners coveted Marvin Williams so it was sly of Eric-A to grab him in the ninth. Young point guard Jarrett Jack and 2006's #1 pick Andrea Bargnai should be intriguing projects this year but it seems like veteran Michael Finley has seen better days.

The Amoebas have the makings of a good team, but they're lacking in solid guard play. They're dead last in AST, weak in STL and 3PT, and in addition to that, are second-to-last in PTS. Having said that, they are very strong in both REB and FT%. For the most part, this is a veteran team looking to gel over the season; and most of all, hoping for a big comeback from Amare.

Best pick: Jason Kidd in Rd3.
Future star: Marvin Williams in Rd12.
Steal: Zach Randolph in Rd6.
Questionable: Quentin Richardson in Rd8.
NBA copycat: Utah Jazz.

Team Focus: Chunky Monkeys

With a possibly lethal 1-2 combination in Gilbert Arenas and Tim Duncan, it's a bit surprising that the Chunky Monkeys seem to be lacking in so many areas. Their biggest team strength seems to be on defense -- pre-season league leader in both STL and BLK. Seems weird right? Maybe it's all third round pick Josh Smith's doing, as he contributes to both areas greatly, and working in concert with Arenas and Duncan could provide dominant numbers in both categories (and we can't forget Emeka Okafor). But where's the offense on this team?

The only projected 20+ point scorers are Arenas and Duncan, with possibly Jason Terry, Josh Smith, or Charlie Villanueva stepping up. Maybe Manu Ginobili can add some scoring, but he's gonna have to average quite a few points to get the Monkeys up to par.

It does seem like Evan will be able to dial in from downtown however, with Arenas, Terry, Smush Parker, and Manu (this team is ranked third in 3PT). Young Pacers Danny Granger and Marquis Daniels are both promising, but neither will make huge impacts in any of the scoring categories.

A trio of point guards (Evan ended up with a league leading five of them) round out the roster. Smush Parker is the most accomplished name here but Shaun Livingston has the most upside. Mo Williams is a bit of a mystery as to how much he'll play, but he could conceivably be a fine AST man.

Despite the big hole in PTS, this team is set up to win quite a few games. Few teams can match the outside shooting, and no teams will challenge them on STL and BLK. The problem is, it doesn't look like there are two more categories within winning distance. The roster of this team is promising but a bit disjointed.

Best pick: Tim Duncan, Rd 2.
Future star: Josh Smith, Rd3.
Steal: Emeka Okafor, Rd10.
Questionable: Mo Williams, Rd12.
NBA copycat: Chicago Bulls.

Team Focus: Squirtle Squad

The cornerstones of this franchise, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, are a great duo for any team. Garnett fills it up in every category while Ray Allen shoots enough 3PT for two people -- plus he's not bad in the other categories. Third round pick Diaw is undoubtably a great all around player, but will Amare's comeback affect his numbers dramatically? Or maybe that'll just make him better. Mr Carlos Boozer, on the other hand, is capable of putting up 20-10 but he's not exactly the healthiest guy on the market, nor does he block any shots at power forward.

Brian popped the rookie cherry by taking Brandon Roy in the sixth round, which may have been a round or two too early. But youth is everything isn't it? Roy is expected to be the rookie of the year afterall. Point guard Deron Williams is looking toward a successful second year while Andres Nocioni and Nenad Krstic are looking to build upon their breakout successes. Later round picks Damon Stoudamire and Bonzi Wells could both have success this year, while Earl Watson should steal huge minutes off of Luke Ridnour. We love the mighty mites of Stoudamire and Watson. Both should provide big AST/STL bang for the buck. Promising big man Kendrick Perkins is slated for a possible starting position, and if he does start, expect good REB and some BLK.

Overall, the Squirtle Turtles are another of those well rounded teams that don't quite do anything spectacularly (highest rank is 4th in AST) but is solidly in the upper half for most categories. It's gonna be a matchup game for Brian with this roster, but it's hard to bet against a man who I've heard legendary stories about in the realm of fantasy sports -- 4 out of last 5 football championships, in a 16 team league no less. Never underestimate the heart (and brains) of a champion.

Best pick: Ray Allen in Rd2.
Future star: Brandon Roy in Rd6.
Steal: Ray Allen in Rd2.
Questionable: Boris Diaw in Rd3.
NBA copycat: Dallas Mavericks.

Team Focus: Funk Coalition

It's hard NOT to build a quality team around Lebron James. He scores, he passes, he rebounds, he shoots threes, he does it all -- except block shots. Then again, with such an all around killer, does it make sense to punt half of the categories? Whether it makes sense or not, the Funk Coalition are choosing to do exactly that.

Pure shooting Michael Redd and Carmelo Anthony were the second and third picks. By passing up a quality big man here (Jermaine O'Neal was available), Jon emphasized his desire to go small ball. Since Redd and Carmelo are only three category players, sealing the other category breaches would have been very difficult.

By taking point guards Jameer Nelson, TJ Ford, Rafer Alston, and Sam Cassell in four out of the next five picks, it's small ball all the way for Funk. Fifth round pick Mehmet Okur was an interesting choice for this strategy; even considering he can hit a three per game. Okur's REB and BLK stats, as paltry as they are, could be totally wasted here.

The rest of the squad is composed of pure 3PT shooter Kyle Korver, the always tantalizing (ie. disappointing) Mike Dunleavy, and a young big man, Sean May. This team is killer in PTS and AST. They are projected to outscore the rest of the league by a wide margin, and should have enough point guards to win AST handily. Funk ranks first in PTS, AST, FT% and second overall in 3PT. Of course, they also rank dead last in FG% and TO, with REB and BLK not doing much better. The key category here could be STL, since quite a number of teams can currently out-STL Funk Coalition, which would translate into instant victory for opponents.

Best pick: Lebron James in Rd1.
Future star: none.
Steal: Sam Cassell in Rd8.
Questionable: Mehmet Okur in Rd5. He really doesn't fit in here does he?
NBA copycat: Phoenix Suns

Team Focus: Poobic Heirs

The Big O put in a well-rounded, stellar draft. With a nice combination of big men (Yao, Rasheed, Bogut, Dalembert) to complement multi-talented wingmen (Caron Butler, Ricky Davis, Shane Battier) and number one stunner, Kobe, this team measures out pretty good on paper.

Kirk Hinrich is a nice point guard who's often overlooked. His 6 AST, 1.6 3PT, 1.2 STL and excellent FT% are exactly what you need from the position. Late round pick Devin Harris probably won't approach those numbers this year and that'll leave The Poobic Heirs a few assists short (projected as second-to-last). Still, that's the only dramatic weakness on this well balanced team. Yao, Rasheed, and Bogut will provide nice numbers everywhere and if Sam Dalembert can pick it up, that's a BLK title right there.

Caron Butler, Ricky Davis, and to a lesser extent, Shane Battier are able to contribute positively in all categories and that should be more than enough to complement Kobe Bryant. Sure, on paper, Oliver's team is lacking some in PTS, but Kobe can win that category by himself once in awhile. If new Sacramento shooting guard Kevin Martin can contribute like he did near the end of last season, that's going to be a huge bonus for this team. With real balance through most categories (weak in AST, dominant in FT%), it'll be interesting to see if Oliver's team can win consistently by just being good at everything. The numbers say yes, the fans say "of course."

Best pick: Kobe Bryant in Rd1.
Future star: none.
Steal: Kobe Bryant in Rd1.
Questionable: none.
NBA copycat: Denver Nuggets.

Team Focus: Sour Snails

In a bold move, Trieu was the only owner fearless enough to take the plunge into small ball from the get-go. Ripping a page out of the small ball draft primer, Trieu followed the precepts to a T and now is about to take his team from the science labs to the proving ground. Still the only team with no power forwards or centers on the roster, Trieu passed up a boatload of bigs to commit to shooters and passers.


Assists will come from the duo of Steve Nash and Allen Iverson, with Mike James and possibly Rajon Rondo contributing a few per game. Aside from that, the rest of the team just shoots, and shoots. Of course, it's not fair to label players such as Ron Artest, Jason Richardson, Larry Hughes and Rudy Gay as just pure shooters or scorers. These guys will steal the ball, shoot the three, and put up all the necessary guard related numbers. Morris Peterson, Wally Szerbiak and (the possibly jail bound) Stephen Jackson will hoist it from the perimeter and aside from Jackson, won't contribute much else outside of good %s. The only player even resembling a front court player is Ryan Gomes, who's hardly a power player.

Needless to say, the Sour Snails are going to need to dominate PTS-AST-STL-3PT-FT%. It looks like they'll beat most comers in 3PT and FT% -- first and third respectively. However, they are a bit light in the AST and STL departments. They're good, but not amazing. Of course, all that separates the leaders from Trieu in these two categories is 4 AST and 1 STL a game. So the potential is there for Trieu to take all four each week.

The question will be PTS, as in, can the Snails get enough? Iverson can provide the necessary spark but Artest, Richardson, Peterson and everyone else had better kick it up a few notches. Otherwise it's going to be fun-and-gun, but without many victories since they are conceding the other four categories right out of the gate.

Best pick: Jason Richardson in Rd 4.
Future star: Rudy Gay in Rd9.
Steal: Mike James in Rd6.
Questionable: none. Maybe Morris Peterson in Rd5 but it's hard to argue with the pick considering the team philosophy.
NBA copycat: Seattle Supersonics.

Team Focus: MoRRie's Pogiboys

It was nearly one year ago when Alvin and I first spoke of starting an "All-Star" fantasy basketball league in order to fulfill our basketball jones. Here we are, one year later, about to step off the precipice of an exciting keeper league. So, how's Alvin looking?


Despite not getting Gilbert Arenas to fall to him at pick nine, Alvin has to be ecstatic about Elton Brand dropping down to him. Nobody would have predicted that this 20-10 stud, still in his prime, would drop so far. On the turnaround, Alvin scooped up Chauncey Billups, who is hardly underrated, but he's still underrated. A career year translated into 18 pts, 9 asts, and 2.3 threes for Chauncey. That's pretty useful to have around. If fourth round pick Stephon Marbury bounces back like we all think he will, that's another 20-8 point guard on the roster. Young big men Chris Kaman and Channing Frye are both active on the boards and on defense -- plus, both shoot stellar FT%. That's a 20-10 franchise player in the frontcourt, two stellar point guards, and two double-double big men. That doesn't include X-Factor Gerald Wallace, who is a STL and BLK machine if he stays healthy.

With a stellar first six picks, could Alvin surround his solid core with the right kinds of players? The additions of point guards Speedy Claxton and Sebastien Telfair should add more ASTs for the present and the future, however neither are stellar shooters. No problem, shooting is all Vladimir Radmanovic does. He'll be needed to shoot a career number of threes, and even that might not be enough (Pogiboy is currently ranked 8th in 3PT). If Derek Fisher can contribute in any way, he'll help those long range numbers. Golden State big men Troy Murphy and Ike Dioglu are directly opposing type of playrs. Troy is a FG% killer, but he can score and rebound, plus drop in a three per game. Ike is currently in Don Nelson's doghouse but he's got some good low post skills.

The Pogiboys are well rounded in pretty much every respect -- with good numbers in AST, REB, STL, BLK, FT% and TO -- however, the total lack of PTS could be troubling. This team is dead last in PTS -- since Elton is the only bonafide scorer (and maybe Stephon if he returns to form). It may be time to ignore the scoreboard and just add on to the strengths that this team already exhibits. It'll be interesting to see how Alvin rounds out his roster to maximize his talent.

Best pick: Elton Brand in Rd1.
Future star: Gerald Wallace in Rd3.
Steal: Stephon Marbury in Rd4.
Questionable: Sebastian Telfair in Rd9.
NBA copycat: Houston Rockets.

Team Focus: Phanatics

Here's an interesting team to look at. Ping's Phanatics had a very strong draft overall and this prognosticator really likes this team. The versatile duo of Paul Pierce and Vince Carter provide all sorts of help across the board. Tack on Richard Jefferson and the Phanatics have by far the best wingmen in the league. Versatile, and high rebounding, forward Lamar Odom really helps to complement Pierce, Carter, and Jefferson.

The addition of Marcus Camby is what really puts this team over the top for me. By taking this REB and BLK machine, Ping really solidified all of his categories, and he was able to take Camby in Rd6. Sure Camby will probably sit out 30 games or so but the other 50 games he'll bring dominance in two categories.

Young forward David West can put up 17-7 with little effort and with additional strong rebounders on board like Drew Gooden and Nazr Mohammed, it's no wonder Ping is by far first in REB. Despite just one point guard on the roster (Luke Ridnour), Ping has the capability to post some decent AST numbers, simply because Pierce, Carter, and Odom are all so well rounded. Late round pick Marcus Williams is a great selection for the future as he could take over the reins from Jason Kidd in a few years. Hedo Turkoglu brings in an additional weapon from long range.

Due to the extreme versatility of many of Ping's first few selections, there seem to be no outrageous holes on this roster. Sure, STL and 3PT are a bit of an issue, but nobody's perfect. With such clear dominance in REB, near dominance in BLK (if Camby plays), and excellent FG% and FT%, the Phanatics could be quite a handful against any matchup.

Value pick: Richard Jefferson in Rd4.
Future star: none.
Steal: Marcus Camby in Rd6.
Questionable: none.
NBA copycat: New Jersey Nets.

Team Focus: 1000 Acre Wood Pooh Bears

It looks like J's put together quite a team around his intriguing duo of Shawn Marion and Andrei Kirilenko. The Evan Team Rater has J's team ranked number one after eleven rounds. J's only real weakness is in points -- but even then, he's squarely safe in the middle of the pack. In fact, J's at least near average (meant as a good thing) in every category while ranking near the top in AST and both the %'s. Surprisingly, The Pooh Bears aren't the top team in BLK, even with Marion and AK on the roster.

With point guards Mike Bibby and Andre Miller picked directly after Matrix and AK, J took immediate control of his AST situation. Adding Brevin Knight in Rd10 could be a real steal, since he should get AST and STL easily enough. Shooters Peja Stojakovic and Ben Gordon were efficiently snapped up to fill out the perimeter, leaving room for multi-talented wingman Tayshaun Prince and the up-and-coming Josh Childress. This could be the skinniest wingmen duo in history.

With a solid foundation, J could afford to grab Pau Gasol in Rd6 and wait on him. In the meantime, Chris Wilcox and Shareef Abdur-Rahim should be able to make do in Gasol's absence. In Wilcox's case, he could even become a huge contributor if he decides to work hard throughout the season.

The more I look at this team, the more noticeably well put together it is. Needs were readily identified and then addressed. The only big question is whether or not AK can stay healthy. Just a smart solid team all-around with enough excellent categories to win each week.

Best pick: Pau Gasol, Rd6.
Future star: none, maybe Ben Gordon in Rd7.
Steal: none.
Questionable: none.
NBA copycat: Detroit Pistons.

Team Focus: Fat Jubas

Fat Jubas: the origin of the name is apparently Eric-L's pet iguana. I think. Actually, I have no idea, but that makes as much sense as anything else right? In our current power rankings, Eric-L's ranks a lowly 10th. However, his roster looks tight, and benefitting from possibly the biggest steal of the draft (Jermaine O'Neal at 27th overall), this team should be very competitive.

Passing up tempting choices like Shawn Marion and Kobe Bryant, Eric-L took Dwayne Wade at the third spot overall. Wade will bring you great FG% and fabulous numbers across the board, except in 3PT. In the playoffs however, Wade was taking (and hitting) shots from beyond the arc so his game will probably keep expanding. Second round value Tracy McGrady has been a fantasy superstar in the past, but his back might limit him once again. Same story with Jermaine O'Neal; all world talent and numbers, injury prone.

A slightly questionable pick in this draft might be Andre Iguodala in the fourth. Iguodala is physically talented but he only averaged 12-6-3 (albeit with 1.6 STL) last year. And with the other AI around, he's probably not going to get much better numbers wise. Still, Iguodala and Josh Howard (acquired in Rd7) are both expected to be all-around fantasy talents. But Howard, who has similar numbers to Iguodala, was taken three rounds later.

On a team sorely lacking AST, lightning bugs Tony Parker and Leandro Barboso won't necessarily help. Both are great at getting in the lane, pushing the pace, and scoring, but neither will contribute that much in the passing department. Corey Maggette was once a rising star, but now his health, and role, is a bit more in doubt. At his best, Maggette is an offensive force who can really help out your FT% since he gets to the line so much. The other center, Zaza Pachulia, had a great year last year (12-8, 1 STL) and here's hoping his new Jubas' teammate, rookie forward Shelden Williams, doesn't disturb those numbers. The Jubas also won the Darko lottery, meaning he should get 2 BLK a game, and maybe more?

The Jubas rank first in FG% and second in BLK. The problem is, they generate a ton of turnovers (tied for last in the league) without much return in AST (third-to-last). In addition, the Jubas are dead last in 3PT too. So there are some real obvious strengths and weaknesses on this team -- and that's with the roster healthy. What happens if McGrady or JO miss half a season? Let's hope they don't have to find out.

Best pick: Tracy McGrady in Rd2.
Future star: Dwayne Wade in Rd1.
Steal: Jermaine O'Neal in Rd3.
Questionable: Andre Iguodala in Rd4.
NBA copycat: Los Angeles Clippers.

Team Focus: Rhythm Drive

We passed over Reno's team in our draft diary so we return to shed some spotlight on this gargantuan squad. Now that we're twelve rounds into the draft, all our teams have taken shape and most of the potential starters are ready to be slotted into our lineups. The promise of earlier rounds has now turned into the reality of trying to win games. In fantasy basketball, the first three or four rounds will dictate what your needs are in the mid and lower rounds. If you drafted small early, you're likely going to need to go big later. This is especially true in rotisserie (a bit less since we are going head-to-head).

In Reno's case, he went big early with Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, and then got even bigger with Brad Miller and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in Rounds 4-5. In-between that foursome of giants, he grabbed up-and-coming point guard Raymond Felton. This is a solid foundation for the future. Bosh and Howard are a very coveted duo and are likely the best young big men in the game. If Bosh can return to his shot blocking ways, he and Howard will combine to clean up on all the traditional big men numbers. Howard is a mini-Shaq in the sense that his FT% is horrible (Bosh's is excellent) but you take the bad with the good -- and good is 18 point and 14 rebounds.

With four big men in his first five picks, Reno's strength was obviously going to lie in REB and BLKs. However, height can be misleading. Brad Miller isn't a huge REB or BLKs guy -- he's a premier passing center. Ilgauskas isn't a top tier REB or BLKS guy either, but he is more than serviceable and has very impressive %'s all around.

So what should have happened in the crucial mid-rounds for Reno? If he's going to balance out his roster, he was going to have to invest heavily into guards, specifically, to get his AST and 3PT up. With his next few picks, he did exactly that.

Mike Miller will provide PTS and 3PT early on while Gasol is out. Steve Francis should be able to get PTS and maybe some AST, ideally returning to 75% of his "Stevie Franchise" status. Luol Deng is a useful piece but he doesn't clearly address any of Reno's needs -- still, he's a rising player in the league. Additional late mid-round picks, rookies Adam Morrison and Randy Foye, are really investments toward the future. Morrison should be a shooter in the style of Wally Szerbiak, and Foye is slotted to be an all-around star -- just maybe not this year.

The most recent two picks were used on Kenyon Martin and Grant Hill. Kenyon can provide decent production in REB and BLK assuming he stays healthy and Grant Hill is looking at a contract year and hopefully 60-70 games. It's assumed that both of these veterans will play early for Rhythm Drive, until the rookies can step up. Or until the two vets fall down, whichever happens first.

Right now, Reno is ranked second in REB, sixth in BLK, and third in FG%. The team is dead last in STL and 2nd to last in 3PT, which is to be expected by looking at the roster. In fantasy, you can either shore up a weakness, or build on a strength. In Reno's case, he's done a little bit of both, leaving him somewhat here nor there. Until Morrison and Roye step up, or Francis/Kenyon/Hill provide some positive contributions, Reno's team could struggle to find an identity.

Best pick: Dwight Howard in Rd2.
Future star: Raymond Felton in Rd3.
Steal: Steve Francis in Rd8.
Questionable: Luol Deng in Rd6, passing up some point guards such as Mike James (taken one spot later) who could have contributed immediately with 3PT and AST. But for Deng and the Rhythm Drive, it's all about upside.
NBA copycat: Orlando Magic.