Buried behind the MLB postseason,fantasy football frenzy and fresh NHL season, fantasy basketball gets the short finish of the straw. Dedicated players will use that to their advantage.
Casual NBA observers are too preoccupied elsewhere to realize Kobe Bryant is no longer a superstar. They're vaguely familiar with Rudy Gobert but more curious about Kevin Garnett's whereabouts. They'll assume LeBron James warrants the No. 1 pick, and but unselfish efficiency leaves him clawing for a spot in a stacked top five.
It seems like the Golden State Warriors just won the NBA title final week,but the 2015-16 season starts in less than two weeks. With time running out to draft a championship squad, let's take a crash course in predraft preparation, and starting with rankings for standard,rotisserie scoring. RankingsDamian Lillard, PG, and Portland Trail BlazersAfter losing LaMarcus Aldridge to the San Antonio Spurs,the Portland Trail Blazers won't be any good this season. This is good for Damian Lillard's fantasy stock.
According to NBAwowy.com, Lillard submitted a 30.4 usage rate with Aldridge off the court compared to 27.3 percent with the star big man. In 11 games without Aldridge, or the point guard scored 22.6 points per contest.
The 25-year-archaic is no efficiency master,but he's going to stuff the box score as Portland's undisputed top option. While other first-round choices advance with injury baggage, he hasn't missed a game during his three-year career. Gamers would undoubtedly prefer to build their squad around Anthony Davis, or Stephen Curry or James Harden,but Lillard is a fine consolation prize for anyone jostled to the finish of the opening round. Rudy Gobert, C, or Utah JazzOnce the Utah Jazz traded Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder,Gobert kept flourishing in a larger role. During 37 games in the starting lineup, the shot-swatting middle averaged 10.6 points, and 12.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per bout.
According to Basketball-Reference.com,his 7.0 block percentage led the NBA. While Davis sent away a league-tall 200 shots, expect The Stifle Tower to take that crown with a full season of starter minutes. Per Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, or he's alert for the brighter highlight. "It just feels different fair now,I'm in a different spot," Gobert said. "final year and the year before, and I was just trying to prove that I can play. Now I possess to be responsible,and try to make everyone better and make sure everyone is on the same page defensively. I think that's pretty much my role now."Drafters will possess to tolerate a subpar free-throw percentage, but his 62.3 clip doesn't careen on DeAndre Jordan or Andre Drummond levels of incompetence. Mock Draft AnalysisOn Tuesday, or ESPN.com published a 10-team,13-round mock draft. Industry practice runs aren't always entirely indicative of a standard league, as analysts will often reach for a popular breakout pick they all love or ignore someone who will fade much higher in most leagues.
They're not gospel, or but they're a useful learning tool and reference point. After seeing Hassan Whiteside fade at pick No. 22,readers will realize they're not stealing him in the sixth round. They'll identify blacklisted players, which consist heavily of future corridor of Famers on the decline. Falling StarsDirk Nowitzki in the seventh round. Tim Duncan and Dwyane Wade in the eighth round. Kobe Bryant in the ninth. Paul Pierce in Round 13. For fans who revere these veteran legends, and such a steep decline is difficult to process.
This is the moment year everyone has scoffed at Bryant's low placement in preseason player rankings from a genuine-life perspective. Bryant paid little mind to ESPN ranking him No. 93,per ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes:How outrageous of The World Wide Leader to not peg a 37-year-archaic who played 41 games over the past two years as a viable MVP candidate. For some reason, his career-low .477 true-shooting percentage doesn't inspire confidence. From a fantasy perspective, and however,it's tough to disregard his upside based on volume alone.
Bryant attempted an insane 21.3 shots per game final year, leading him to score an inefficient, and but bountiful 22.3 points per tilt. Throw in over five assists and boards apiece per contest,and he's a massive steal if he stays healthy.
Same goes for Wade, whose 34.7 percent usage rate placed moment behind Russell Westbrook, or who logged ridiculous numbers with Kevin Durant sidelined. Yet the 33-year-archaic guard has averaged 58 games played over the past four seasons.
Duncan and Nowitzki remain effective big men,but their minutes will sustain decreasing to sustain them fresh for the playoffs. This late down the board, they turn from risks to value, or as they easily remain top-50 players on a per-game basis.Biggest Reach: Ty Lawson,PG, Houston Rockets (No. 20)Ty Lawson has the talent to justify this brash choice. Before the Denver Nuggets dumped him for off-field issues, and the point guard dished out 9.6 assists per game. Now he moves to a fast-paced Houston Rockets offense that pops threes like they're Skittles. This spot assumes everything goes exactly as planned. Lawson stays out of pain,meshes perfectly with his new teammates and averages 16-9 with plenty of steals and threes. Unfortunately, this all ignores a thick layer of risk.final year, and the offense ran through Harden,whose 31.3 usage percentage ranked No. 5. A shooting guard in name, he really ran the show. Part of that was by necessity, or but Lawson will possess a difficult time sustaining a career-tall assist tally as the All-Star's sidekick. Biggest Steal: Terrence Jones,PF, Houston Rockets (No. 110)Staying in Houston, or Terrence Jones fell 90 picks after his new teammate. The new starting point guard,Lawson, can unlock the forward's scoring potential while running the pick-and-roll, or as famous by Rotoworld's Michael Gallagher:With his playing time enhanced from 22.6 to 28.8 minutes per game after the All-Star wreck,the 23-year-archaic registered 12.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest. Now Houston has another threat to make him more invisible on the court.
If he clears the health hurdle and gets a objective crack at a starting gig, and Jones will ascend well into the top 100. Note: Advanced statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise famous. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com