8/20/2004 11:47:44 AM|||Shep|||Loren Woods was probably a decent choice as a second round pick. However, from what I saw of him in college, it doesn't surprise me that his transition has been less than stellar. He never seemed to play with any intensity in college. He was just kind of a big guy who was athletic enough to play basketball. I haven't seen him in the NBA since he's been with Minnesota and Miami (neither of which I get to see play often in the markets I've been in; not that I would have actually seen him play anyway)... Perhaps he's picked up a little bit of fire along the way, since his minutes have been increasing... I know, though, that if I were a GM, I would not have drafted him. I just don't like guys like that. I want someone like Ben Wallace; someone who works hard and shows that they're working hard, and that they have heart and they believe in themselves. But that's neither here ... nor -->.

Fantasy Impact

Woods adds frontcourt depth to the Raptors, but that's about it. With Chris Bosh and Rafael Araujo (both of whom have shown intensity when I've seen them) as the only other centers the Raptors have, Woods should be able to bump his minutes up from the 13 he got in Miami. The Raptors would probably like to start him at the 5, so they can move Bosh to PF. If that is indeed the case, he stands to probably double his minutes. Best case: 7, 7, and 1 block. If he brings his FT% back up to around 78% (from the 60% he shot last season) he becomes a decent back-up center in 12 team leagues.

Keep in mind 2 things:
1) His points will always be limited by the fact that he's on a team with Vince Carter, Jalen Rose, and Donyell Marshall - all of whom are not shy about shooting the ball.
2) He played in only 38 games the last 2 seasons. Whether you think that gives him an experience deficit or an energy surplus is up to you.


|||109302048616056332|||Out of the Woods