2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 1
2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 2

20. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas, C, (Lithuania) – The Houston Rockets are stockpiling assets. And there are few assets in the draft whose upside is higher than Donatas Motiejunas. He’s a 20-year old seven footer who has an established inside/outside game. He’s athletic, can run the floor, handle the ball, create is own shot and has three point range. So, why did he go 20th in this draft? There are serious concerns about his maturity level and commitment to the game. He’s also described as soft, especially on defense. With his potential he could be the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki… or maybe Andrea Bargnani… or maybe Yi Jianlian. Now the word is that he’s expected to play with his old club Benetton Treviso during the lockout and could miss the upcoming NBA season (if it happens).

21. Portland Trail Blazers: Nolan Smith (Duke University) – The Blazers starting Point Guard, Raymond Felton, is fairly mediocre when it comes to efficiency per minute played (keep in mind his numbers from last season were inflated by the 26 games he played for the fantasy-friendly Knicks). As a result, he needs to play a lot in order to generate the kinds of numbers that he puts up. Does that mean there’s an opening for Nolan Smith? Especially since the Blazers only have Felton on a one-year contract right now? He’s got to have at least as much of a chance as they gave Pat Mills last season, right? Well, no. Even if they find a way to convince Felton he can be happy playing the 33 minutes a game that Andre Miller had for the Blazers last season, they now have Mills and Smith to fit into the remaining 15. Once Felton is gone, I can see Smith becoming a legit Fantasy PG. Not going to happen this season though without an injury to Felton (who has missed only 2 games per year in his career).

22. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried, PF, (Morehead State) – If you like Reggie Evans, then you are going to love Kenneth Faried. Faried has a Dennis Rodman approach to the game (minus the off the court insanity), where his skill set, athleticism and tenacity on defense helped him lead the nation with 14.5 rebounds per game. His 1,673 career rebounds broke the NCAA modern-era rebounding record held by Tim Duncan. Not bad for a dude who is “only” 6′ 8″. It’s a smart pick by the Nuggets. Both Nene Hilario and Kenyon Martin became free agents this offseason, so Faried could find himself in the Nuggets’ rotation sooner rather than later. But does rebounding and defense translate into fantasy value? It really depends on what the Nuggets do in free agency. Despite a limited offensive game his elite skills have the potential to provide some low-end situational fantasy value this season if he can overtake the Birdman and get enough minutes.

23. Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic – The Bulls were happy to trade some late picks that probably wouldn’t amount to anything for someone who might be worth something in a year or two. Check back then.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Reggie Jackson, PG, (Boston College) – What he lacks in point guard skills, he makes up for in freakishly long arms. That’s ok because the Thunder didn’t draft Jackson to backup Russell Westbrook (that’s Eric Maynor’s job), but to provide the team with an offensive flamethrower off the bench, especially if James Harden becomes a starter. Jackson actually has a lot of Russell Westbrook in him – he’s fast, can blow by guys with a quick first step, is great at penetrating and getting to the rim, and already has a giant set of balls. The Thunder have stockpiled a lot of young talent over the last few years, so it’ll be tough for Jackson to find consistency in that rotation this season, but he’s a nice long term play if the team can’t afford to resign Westbrook down the road.

25. New Jersey Nets: MarShon Brooks (Providence College) – I hope you read this far since I think MarShon could step in as a true fantasy sleeper this year (of course, with a many fantasy outlets as there are now, it’s hard to say if anyone can really be a sleeper). I’m not sure if everyone is still waiting for Anthony Morrow to break out, but hopefully most people are starting to realize that like a Schwarzenegger-Shriver reconcillation, it’s not going to happen. The opportunity is there for Brooks to be a fantasy role player in standard size leagues as a rookie.

26. Denver Nuggets: Jordan Hamilton, SF, (Texas) – Hamilton was the big slide of the draft, going to Denver (via Dallas) in the late first round after being projected by some as a lottery pick. Like any mature adult, Hamilton immediately blamed his coach for bad mouthing him behind his back. It is true that teams may have been scared off by his attitude and the fact that his two word scouting report would read “volume shooter”. Still, Hamilton was a talented scorer in college and already has NBA three point range. He’s also a very good rebounder for his position. Hamilton was a pure value grab for Denver – he’ll have a tough time getting minutes behind Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler this year and is a stay away for fantasy purposes. However, the pick does mean that the Nuggets can finally say goodbye to J.R. Smith.

27. Boston Celtics: JuJuan Johnson (Purdue University) – Under the obvious Kevin Garnett comparisons cited around the web, there is a player named JaJuan Johnson. There’s also more comparisons to players like Kendrick Perkins. JaJuan will probably get some half-decent minutes helping to keep Garnett’s playing time close to 30 minutes so he can keep his energy for the playoffs. Even if Jeff Green takes the half-decent minutes available behind Garnett, Johnson will probably get some more half-decent minutes when Jermaine O’Neal gets injured and/or only plays 20 minutes per game.

28. Miami Heat: Norris Cole, PG, (Cleveland State) – Scouts project Cole as a solid backup point guard in the NBA, so he’s already the Heat’s fourth best player before even putting on the jersey. I kid, I kid. The Heat loved Cole for his impressive speed and quickness (unlike say Mike Bibby, Cole is not going to have problems keeping up with Wade and James on the break). Cole is a good at a lot of things, great at nothing type of player. He’s a good scorer, defender, rebounder and playmaker. He’s also an intense competitor, which is the trait that could really propel him into a significant role for the Heat this season. He’ll give Mario Chalmers a run for the starting job and has some fantasy sleeper potential given that the Heat have plenty of minutes available for him at the point guard position, even off the bench.

29. San Antonio Spurs: Cory Joseph (University of Texas at Austin) – Backup to Tony Parker is not a bad place to start in the NBA. Joseph is going to have a hard time filling player, coach, and fan favorite George Hill, who was traded on draft night. But that doesn’t really matter for fantasy basketball. So, how much is Vegas putting on the Tony Parker Injury line should there be a 2011-12 season?

30. Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler, SF, (Marquette) – Someday, they’ll make a movie out of Jimmy Butler’s life starring Sandra Bullock. From homeless teenager to first round draft pick by the Bulls, the kid is a success no matter what he does in the NBA. As another one of those good at a lot of things, but great at nothing type player, Butler’s ceiling tops out as a solid role player. He’s got a good jump shot, can score a bit and is a solid defender, but he doesn’t necessarily fit the Bulls’ big need at shooting guard. Instead, he’ll likely be Luol Deng’s backup off the bench and won’t be worth drafting in fantasy leagues.

Other Stuff Like This:

• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 1 (5)
• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 2 (3)

This is Part 2, where we will analyze the fantasy prospects of picks 11-20. The talk gets a little cheaper, as do the contracts. The fantasy potential, though? Who knows…

11. Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson SF (Washington State University) – Great shooter without much defense? Sounds like a perfect fit for the Warriors. Not exactly what Nate at Golden State of Mind wanted, but if you think Thompson can end up as a better Small Forward than Dorrell Wright or Reggie Williams, then you are probably of the opinion that the Warriors will be pretty tough to defend. What it means for Thompson from a fantasy standpoint is much harder to decipher. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry already handle a lot of the scoring load and Dorrell Wright emerged last season as a very nice Small Forward scoring option. David Lee is also still around to score 16 to 20 points for the Warriors. That’s a tough nut to crack.

12. Utah Jazz: Alec Burks, SG (Colorado) – Most people think that the Jazz knocked it out of the park with their draft. Of course, a big part of that was grabbing Enes Kanter with the third overall pick. And while Utahans wanted the Jazz to find a way to get Fredette with their other first round pick, Burks comes with a lot less fan fair but arguably more potential upside. The one thing Burks should be able to do right away in the NBA is score – he averaged 20.5 PPG as a sophomore and one of his strengths is attacking the basket. The big question is can he develop a three point shot and learn to play passable defense in the NBA. Burks has the ability to contribute for the Jazz immediately, but he’ll be fighting for minutes at the wing with C.J. Miles, Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell and possibly Andrei Kirilenko (if he returns to the team). That means he’s a better bet to come off the bench his rookie season while he works on that three.

13. Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris, PF (University of Kansas) – I’ll make the comparison because it’s there: I think Markieff is going to be a lot like his fellow twin teammate Robin Lopez; he’ll be a decent back up player at his position who will record a few double-doubles, mostly when the guy ahead of him in the rotation gets injured. He might be a decent fantasy pick in the last two rounds in case he can pick up 20 minutes playing behind the combination of Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat, and Robin Lopez. Those guys are bound to miss a few games between them – maybe just enough to get him in the Top 156.

14. Houston Rockets: Marcus Morris, PF (Kansas) – Expected to go off the board before his twin brother Markieff, Marcus instead went one pick after to the Rockets. Morris has a few elite skills that should translate into the NBA immediately – he’s aggressive going to the hoop, can score a lot of different ways in the post, and his jump shot has improved a lot this season. The Rockets currently have a logjam at power forward, including Chuck Hayes (if he resigns), Luis Scola, Jordan Hill, and Patrick Patterson, so it’s possible that they try Morris out at the 3 and see if he can stick with small forwards on defense. Given the Hollywood casting call look of Houston’s roster at the moment, we’ll have to wait and see if the Rockets make any moves before judging exactly how Morris fits in with the Rockets this season. I wouldn’t be putting Morris high on my draft day cheat sheet unless he’s their starting small forward come October.

15. San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State University) – The Spurs gave up George Hill for Kawhi Leonard, the former of whom had worked his way up to almost 30 minutes per game last year. Leonard, though, could almost be considered an upgrade at Small Forward considering the human letdown that has been going by the name of Richard Jefferson. Leonard will at least get some playing time because of his length and defense. He will have to prove that he can shoot at least close to Jefferson’s level, but the Spurs can afford to play match-ups and shift playing time between Leonard and Jefferson. That being the case, until Leonard can demonstrate a reliable shot to go with his defense, he’s probably not a going to be a standard league fantasy player.

16. Philadelphia 76ers: Nikola Vucevic, PF, (USC) – The fact that the Sixers’ starting center this past year was Spencer Hawes practically demanded that the team take a center in the draft. And the team obliged, drafting the 7-foot Vucevic with the 16th pick. Vucevic’s NBA comp is Mehmet Okur (without the three point range) so it’s not a surprise that Sixers’ fans are feeling a little underwhelmed. Vucevic has a polished offensive game, can score in the post and out to about 18-20 feet and should be a decent center in the league. The big knock on him is that he’s about as athletic as Betty White in a Snickers’ commercial, but the number of athletic 7-footers with polished skills and a smooth jumper in the NBA can be counted with one German finger. Given that Vucevic’s main competition will be Hawes, he could be worth a flyer in the later rounds of a fantasy draft in case he takes the starting job.

17. New York Knicks: Iman Shumpert (Georgia Institute of Technology) – Another great draft for the Knicks fans who like to boo their teams picks. Considering that Chauncey Billups only has a year left on his hefty contract, perhaps they do have a realistic need for a Point Guard instead of drafting Chris Singleton to back up Amar’e Stoudemire at Power Forward. You would think with their draft history, though, that they would have gone with a sure thing instead of another gamble. Even though Billups is getting old, he’ll still get at least 30 minutes a game starting for the Knicks next season, and Toney Douglas is hanging around to take up some of the remaining minutes at whichever guard position the Knicks will play him.

18. Washington Wizards: Chris Singleton, SF (Florida State) – Singleton is a plus defender who is big and athletic for a small forward. In his own words, he was drafted to bring a defensive mindset to the Wizards. Unfortunately, other than some modest catch and shoot ability, his offensive game is basically non-existent. Guys drafted for their defensive abilities don’t usually make the best fantasy plays their rookie seasons (see Avery Bradley or Luc Mbah A Moute). He’ll rack up some steals and blocks right out of the gate, but generally stay away from him in fantasy drafts. Especially since there is a good chance he’ll be competing with the Wizards’ other first round pick Jan Vesely for time at small forward.

19. Milkwaukee Bucks: Tobias Harris (University of Tennessee) – BrewHoop gives a very objective overview of Harris’ prospects in the pros, but considering the Bucks roster consists almost entirely of sort-of-tall, basically-GF-type players, he’s going to have a hard time breaking out in Milwaukee, especially with as raw as people are saying his game currently is. The Bucks have three legit scoring options ahead of their new rookie and a couple more sketchy options with NBA experience. I’m staying away in the draft, but willing to give him a look if he starts taking significant minutes from Luc Mbah a Moute as the season progresses.

20. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas, C (Lithuania) – The Houston Rockets are stockpiling assets. And there are few assets in the draft whose upside is higher than Donatas Motiejunas. He’s a 20-year old seven footer who has an established inside/outside game. He’s athletic, can run the floor, handle the ball, create is own shot and has three point range. So, why did he go 20th in this draft? There are serious concerns about his maturity level and commitment to the game. He’s also described as soft, especially on defense. With his potential he could be the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki… or maybe Andrea Bargnani… or maybe Yi Jianlian. Now the word is that he’s expected to play with his old club Benetton Treviso during the lockout and could miss the upcoming NBA season (if it happens).

Other Stuff Like This:

• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 1 (5)
• Day 25 of 124: One Painful Season (27)
• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 3 (6)
• An NBA Draft Recap: Links Style (4)
• Since Last Night's Waiver Wire Performers Sucked (0)
• Prepare for the Madness of March (0)

Historically (and we’re coming up on the 7th anniversary of GMTR, so “historically” kind of actually means something), I will admit, GMTR hasn’t been a great knowledgebase when it comes to rookies in relation to fantasy basketball. Patrick and Erik and I aren’t really into NCAA basketball and we only sort of pay attention when March Madness rolls around so we can check out guys who might be coming to the NBA in the coming season. It’s generally been my belief that rookies play a fairly minor role when it comes to fantasy basketball, but I also have noticed that there’s been at least a few guys every year who have been stepping up pretty big in their first season. Perhaps that’s always been the case and I just refused to accept it until now. So, with that totally unnecessary preface out of the way, let’s get on with it…

This is only the first of three posts that will cover the first round picks of the 2011 NBA Draft in entirely too much detail. And one final note: I did the odd picks and Patrick did the even picks, so if you tend to inherently not trust one of us (presuming you even knew there was a difference) then you can filter your view of the predictions with that knowledge in mind.

1. CLE: Kyrie Irving, PG (Duke University) – Everyone said this was a no-brainer pick for the Cavs, and if you’re looking for rookies to draft in fantasy basketball, it’s a no-brainer pick there too. Irving is going to a Cleveland team that needs help at just about every position so Irving will be expected to do just about everything (with a little help from his new teammate, the #4 pick, Tristan Thompson). On a team like the Cavs especially, a rookie Point Guard is going to end up with a lot of turnovers. Look at John Wall, who ended up last year at #67 on the GMTR Fantasy Basketball Player Rater, despite averaging 16 points and 8 assists. Wall had 3.8 turnovers per game and that’s probably not too much to expect from Irving. If your first 4-5 players are leaning toward tipping the scales on turnovers, then you might as well take Irving in the 5th or 6th round – if he’s even still available. There is probably another guy in your league who thinks that every rookie can be as good as their NBA vet comparison and will go with Irving in the 3rd or 4th round. Temper your expectations with this notion: Irving is probably the best player on the Cavs, so who else are teams going to defend?

Different KI

2. MIN: Derrick Williams, SF/PF (Arizona) – For comedic purposes, David Kahn should have been forced to draft PG Kyrie Irving with the second pick in the NBA draft. Instead, he got a PG reprieve with the 6’9″ Williams, who arrives in Minnesota after two great years at Arizona. You’ll often hear that a guy is athletic (read: he’s still learning how to dribble a basketball) or has skills (read: his body looks like it’s made out of grape jelly). Williams is one of those lucky guys who is both an athlete and has skills. He’s an efficient offensive player who can score from just about anywhere on the court – including around the rim, in the post, with isolations, and even from three.

Ironically, one of his NBA comps is Michael Beasley, a guy he’ll be competing against for a starting job if Beasley isn’t traded before the start of the season. Despite playing PF/C in college, Williams insists he’s a small forward in the NBA. And with Minnesota’s power forward spot locked up by Kevin Love, the 3 is likely where Williams will get an opportunity to run. All the scouting reports say he’s going to struggle guarding NBA small forwards, but as long as his offensive game is a polished as advertised, Williams could slide into the Wolves starting rotation this season and put up some solid offensive numbers running alongside Love and Ricky Rubio. He’s a mid-round player in fantasy leagues if Beasley is shown the door, otherwise wait until the last third of a draft to pick him up.

3. UTA: Enes Kanter, PF/C – Coming from somewhere via somewhere else, Enes Kanter doesn’t have a lot of data to look at. That said, he is 6′ 11″ and has declared himself the best player in the draft. Of course, no matter how good he is, from a fantasy perspective, he’s going to the Jazz who already have Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Derrick Favors up front. That’s a very promising lineup for the future of the Jazz, but it means that Kanter’s numbers won’t be what they could have been on a team without as much front-court depth (like the Cavs or Raptors). Still, you can’t teach height, and evidently he worked out well enough to get up to #3 overall. Definitely someone you want to start looking at around the 6th round if you’re one of the rookie-optimists. More conservative folks will want to wait until where comps like Chuck Hayes and Mr. Kim Kardashian ended up at 91 and 92 (7th – 8th round).

What you were expecting a Kardashian because of that last sentence? This is Ines. I think Enes is the male form.

4. CLE: Tristan Thompson, SF (Texas) – Four picks in and we have our first surprise of the draft. Cavs fans were expecting Jonas Valanciunas in this spot, but the Cavs were scared by his buyout situation. Thompson is bit undersized for a PF, but is athletic enough to be a good rebounder (especially on the offensive glass) and has a great motor (drink!). His offensive game can charitably be described as raw at this point in his career. He can score in the paint, but has no jump shot to speak of and shot 49% from the free throw line this year. The recent trade of J.J Hickson to the Kings is an indication that the team is committing to Thompson as their PF of the future, although they still do have Samardo Samuels and Antawn Jamison at the position (for now anyway). Thompson is a project and I would stay away from him in fantasy drafts this season.

5. TOR: Jonas Valanciunas – An easy fantasy non-choice. Unless Valanciunas can work out a buyout from Lietuvos Rytas, then he is not going to be playing in the NBA for at least another year. Interesting note, though: I had previously thought it was up to the NBA team and the international team to work out the buyout deal, but in watching his draft profile, I learned that the NBA team can only pay $500,000 toward the buyout and the player has to pay the rest. Since Valanciunas has $2.5 million left on his contract, you can understand why he wouldn’t want to fork over $2 million of his future NBA contract to his Lithuanian team when he could keep that money and then the guaranteed rookie scale when he gets to the NBA.

6. Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, PF (Czech Republic) – Vesely is going to be a lot of fun, so expect his fantasy stock to be high come draft day. There’s the PDA with his girlfriend on draft night; the fact the 6-11 forward is nicknamed the dunking Czech for his ability to put on a show at the rim; and that he’s called Brook Lopez the American Jan Vesely. Everything else you need to know about Vesely was broken down by Sebastian Pruiti at NBA Playbook. Basically, the dude has an NBA ready post game and surprisingly good defense, but his jump shot and work from the free throw line need a lot of attention. Given the fact that he’ll be running in the Wizard’s offense alongside John Wall, there is some fantasy potential this year, but since the Wizards are currently committed to Andray Blatche, Vesely will likely be relegated to limited minutes as an energy guy in the second unit. He’ll be a fun guy to own in fantasy leagues, but not as valuable as his highlights will suggest.

Jan and his smoochy buddy Eva Kodouskove

7. SAC: Bismack Biyombo, PF/C – I can’t wait to see the fan signs that come with BiSMACK Biyombo. But, I can wait to draft him until at least, the 5th round of the 2012 fantasy draft. From what I gather from the words and videos on the web, Biyombo is what those in the know call “raw.” (drink!) He tall, long, and can block shots. I’m not sure there’s much more to his game than that right now, though.

8. Detroit Pistons: Brandon Knight, PG (Kentucky) – Knight fell to the Pistons in the draft after a run on international big men (a close cousin to the IHOP). They grabbed Knight because he was the best value left on the board and not exactly because he filled a need on their team. While the combo guard joins a crowded Pistons’ backcourt, a spot could clear out very quickly if the team can finally move Rip Hamilton. Knight – who is only 19 years old – has the potential to be an explosive scorer with a high basketball IQ (he’s the nerd in the draft with the 4.3 GPA). But even he acknowledges that his game is still a work in progress (especially at the PG position) so expect a lot of inconsistency out of Knight this season as he learns how to be a PG in the NBA. Knight could be worth a flyer in the later rounds and I’d like him a lot more if Hamilton were to get moved.

9. CHA: Kemba Walker, PG (University of Connecticut) – The only thing that might hurt Walker’s fantasy chances this season (working on the assumption that we have a season) is the fact that DJ Augustine is still employed by the Bobcats. It does seem like everyone is ready to hand over the reigns of the team to Walker, though, so if he is okay with running pick-and-rolls off of Boris Diaw, then he’ll be an awesome fantasy player. Of course, when you consider that Corey Maggette gets the Bobcats’ starting Small Forward job by default, Kemba Walker probably has as good a chance as anyone.

10. Sacramento Kings: Jimmer Fredette, SG (Brigham Young) – I’m struggling to write something interesting about Jimmer Fredette. I mean, when the Mormon Church decides it’s time to weigh in on the great white hope, I think it’s time to put Jimmer Fever behind us and move on to the next big thing (like gap teeth). As far as his game goes, Fredette led the nation in points per game with 28.9. As the video below will demonstrate, his three point range has no range and when he’s not knocking down threes from all over the court, he can float on air on his way to the basket. I’m not sure what the kid can’t do on a basketball court, well, other than play defense.

Slip her the Jimmer

The Kings are clearly loving the Jimmer Fredette era in terms of ticket sales, but the more interesting question (and one they probably don’t have an answer for) is how he fits in on the Kings’ roster. With Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton, the newly acquired John Salmons and now Fredette, the Kings have a lot of guys who like to get their shots off. It’s early, but Paul Westphal sees Fredette coming off the bench for the Kings behind Evans and Thornton. Fredette could certainly thrive this season as the team’s scorer off the bench (like Eddie House, only good), but will it be enough for the Jimmernatics out there? He’ll definitely be worth owning in fantasy leagues, just don’t expect him to play like a cross between Steve Nash and Larry Bird. Yet.

As a final Final Note: in the future the NBA should select a Lottery Girl to select the order. I’m sure Beyonce would volunteer, but the bias there would be too obvious. Instead, pick someone from Canada who only cares about hockey:

Gallery:

Other Stuff Like This:

• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 3 (6)
• 2011 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Analysis – Part 2 (3)
• Day 35 of 124: Where Kemba Walker Joins Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw (26)
• Day 32 of 124: Where Tyrus Thomas Beckons You with his Sweet Siren Call (59)
• First Month Report Card: Top 20 Point Guards in Fantasy Basketball (13)
• Day 16 of 124: Where Tyson Chandler Drops Bombs (27)
• Day 10 of 124: Point Guards, Threes (43)

Actually, I do know one thing about the NBA draft. People love draft grades. Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many draft grade articles: Fanhouse, Sports Illustrated, Rotoworld, Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, Pro Basketball News, NBAdraft.net. And as always, Ball Don’t Lie is a must read, because they aren’t afraid to hurt some feelings.

Golden State Warriors: Ekpe Udoh

Ekpe is 23 years old and he didn’t average 25 a game last season in the NCAAs. If you’re 23, you should be dominating in some aspect among the 20-year-olds, and he wasn’t. Apologies for making it that simple and flip, but this seems like the Warriors just grabbed the first guy who didn’t come into an individual workout looking for the broom closet because someone told him that’s where he’d find a half-soused Don Nelson at 2 p.m., midway through his second bag of Funyuns.

Grade: F

On SI.com, Tom Lorenzo lists the winning and losing rookies from a fantasy perspective. The great thing about this list is that it’s described in terms of what guys will do NEXT season, which is what you want to know unless you’re in a keeper league. On the winners list are guys like John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, but he also lists late first round picks James Anderson and Jordan Crawford among the winners. My big problem with the list is that it goes to 11. When is the last time an NBA draft (especially one his mediocre, produced a total of 11 guys who were even worth owning their rookie season in fantasy leagues? 5-6 guys is a much more realistic number.

Fantasy Knuckleheads has a list of fantasy winners and losers from the draft. However, I don’t think you can call the Wizards a loser just because they still have Gilbert Arenas on their team. Unless we’re talking about the 2001 draft.

Marc Spears takes a slightly different look at winners and losers on Yahoo Sports. One winner? The Kings, who got DeMarcus Cousins with the fifth pick in the draft.

We’re going to be hearing a lot about DeMarcus Cousins from now until the start of the season. I bet the hype gets to the point where he starts going before Wall in a lot of fantasy drafts. From TrueHoop:

On the court, Cousins has the full range of skills the NBA wants from its big men. Despite carrying nearly 300 pounds on his 6-foot-11 frame, Cousins can run the floor and his fundamentals in the post are solid. His soft hands and forceful presence allow him to catch and finish deep in the paint. When the ball goes up from the perimeter, Cousins throws his weight around underneath and corrals rebounds with ease. In short, there’s nothing particularly raw about Cousins’ talent. His game is incredibly evolved for a big man with only a single season of college experience.

PistonPowered creates a wicked rebounding chart of every rookie drafted in an attempt to prove that Greg Monroe was a good draft pick. What it really proves (to me) is that DeMarcus Cousins is a beast.

Mark Strotman examines the fantasy implications of the first round of the draft. I love me some depth chart talk.

David Kendrick takes a look at the first five players selected in the draft and predicts what stats we’ll see from them next season.

My favorite part of the Hoopshype draft breakdown? That salaries and player comps are included. I like knowing how much money people make. Thanks Parade Magazine.

Looking for a video breakdown of the draft, fantasy-style? Adam Stanco and Keith Lipscomb of ESPN are on that. Nels and I were going to provide you a video as well, but we didn’t want Adam and Keith to feel bad we were so much better looking than they are.

GMTR Draft Winner? As usual, fashion.

* Possibly not true

Other Stuff Like This:

• Day 45 of 124: The Return of the Golden Ticket Question Mark (7)
• Day 44 of 124: Win More With Bayless (51)
• Day 29 of 124: Washington Can’t Handle The Truth (45)
• Day 23 of 124: Off the Wall (37)
• GMTR Podcast #23: Oh My Cousins (18)
• Day 8 of 124: Love and Cousins (20)
• 2011-2012 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Part Two (4)

With a subject like that, you’d probably expect some sort of Pillars of the Earth-like tome on the Wizards likely number one pick: John Wall.

Instead, it’s going to be more of a Friday afternoon kind of post with videos of people doing the John Wall Dance, some pictures of John Wall working out, and maybe even some thoughts about how John Wall fits in with fantasy basketball.

First things first:

I mean, does LeBron James have his own dance? It’s no Soulja Boy or anything, but neither was the Macarena. Sometimes, if you give people a dance they can do, then they’ll do it. Nah mean?

Here’s two photos from DraftExpress depicting John Wall at a work out session. If you’re lucky, there will be some topless girls in American Apparel ads next to the photos.

And here’s a more serious and kind of inspirational piece from HoopsWorld on Wall.

Now, for John Wall on the Wizards… I saw another post that summed it up pretty well: John Wall and Gilbert Arenas have the chance to be the next Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin. Sarcastic? Catty? Spot on?

Arenas and Martin are both injury-prone prolific scorers. Wall and Evans are both solid rookies ready to bear the load of an NBA team. It’s too bad Arenas has nearly $80 million left on the last 4 years of his contract, because I don’t know a lot of teams off the top of my head that are going to want to trade for that albatross of a contract. That’s LeBron James type money, not the kind of dough you want to be handing over to an often unreliable injury-prone entertainer. LeBron is also an entertainer first, winner second, but at least he has played in at least 75 games every season of his career.

So, unfortunately for the Wizards, they’ll probably have to find a way for Wall and Arenas to co-exist. And, actually, if you read that article I linked to up there, you might see how it could work out. Wall is ready to learn and to lead. Arenas has never really been that kind of a leader. He’s definitely been a guy who can take a shot with the clock winding down, but when he was hitting those game winners, I didn’t hear much about his team leadership. So, at least as far as ethos are concerned, it’s feasible that Wall and Arenas can compliment each other.

I’m not so sure that those roles on the team will translate out on the court, though. It will be a waste of money to let Wall run the offense and make Arenas a spot-up shooter, and I don’t see Arenas working well of the pick-and-roll (do teams even run a two-guard pick-and-roll?). The Pistons made it work with Rip Hamilton running around off screens while Chauncey Billups dished the ball, but can Gilbert handle that much work without the ball in his hands? Again, unfortunately for the Wizards, what they need to work with Arenas is the (probable) second pick: Evan Turner. Maybe they can work something out with Philly.

As far as fantasy is concerned, though? Well, Wall looks to fit in very well with Small Ball teams. He’s going to have good Points, Assists, and Steals. Even with Arenas as primary scorer and ball hawk (1.7 steals per game career average), there will be plenty of opportunities for Wall to score and take the ball away. He’ll actually probably be reliant on Arenas for a lot of his assists since, no offense, there isn’t much else on the Wizards (at least looking at the guys they have under contract).

It will be interesting to see where his Rebounds end up since we all know a certain other Kentucky Point Guard who is a kind of a rebound whore. Rondo was getting about 6 rebounds per game in college, though, compared to Wall’s modest 4.3. J-Dub’s free throw shooting looks to be decent, and it’s not like that line gets further back in the NBA like the three-point line does. Speaking of threes, this is the Wild Card (not Wildcat) to me, but mostly because I haven’t seen enough of Wall to know what his range is really like. He did make 1 three a game in college, but NBA three-point range is a like prepping a mango versus the avocado that is college three-point range.

So really, I’ve said a whole lot without saying anything at all. And vice versa.

And so, to satisfy your Friday cravings with some real substance (or not):

Ball Like John Wall.

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But while the spectacle of the draft is one of the most overrated things in the NBA, the reaction and analysis of the draft is important… well, kinda. This article by Jeff Andriesse of RotoExperts.com looked at the first round picks during the last decade who averaged 30 or more minutes per game during their rookie seasons. He found that just 29 rookies over the past 10 years averaged 30+ minutes a game (an average of less than three a year for the mathematically challenged). And if the experts are correct about the quality of this draft class, then we are probably looking at the under on the number of rookies who will significantly contribute to their team in 2009-10.

But in the spirit of at least one rookie in 09-10 being worth our fantasy time, what did some other, smarter, people have to say about the draft

Matt Buser did a live draft chat over at his new site, busersports.com. Man, that is the one draft related event I would have liked to been at if only to bombard him with questions like, “so, when this draft thing all gets sorted out, I think you and me should get an apartment together” and “did you get those panties I sent you in the mail?” Oh boy, I like Buser a little too much.

Bust a Bucket (home to the world’s greatest header) had another live draft chat with some of the basketball blogosphere’s best and brightest: A Stern Warning, With malice, T-Wolves Blog, BlueBlitz.Net, Hoop Heads North, and 2nd Round Reach.

Barley’s Mouth finishes off the live chat threesome with their own sick and twisted recap of the draft and follows it up with an ode to Michael Jackson and draft recap all in one. Like Michael, the recap is incredibly entertaining, but I wouldn’t leave your children alone in the house with it.

Speaking of Brendan at 2RR, he already has some preliminary day after draft reaction up including some smart words on the Nets. Although I’m not so sure about the Yi Jianlian part.

I’m not sure if Evil E sleeps or is even human, but he already has updated depth charts for every team in the league based on yesterday’s draft.

If you’re like me and don’t like to actually watch the draft, but still want to be able to speak coherently about it or drop some nuggets at your cocktail parties this weekend, then Empty the Bench has a great recap of the draft complete with honorary awards.

And while it’s still too early to grade the fantasy implications of the draft picks, it’s never too soon to grade the suits.

* Actually, my life is not better than that. Instead, I watched 4 hours of Michael Jackson music videos.

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Sports2Debate has updated their NBA Mock Draft for 2009. Yeah, it’s still at least 39 days away, but we’re already springing forward tonight, so it’ll be here before you know it!

Rootzoo has 7 Top Fantasy Basketball Keepers. Which is more than ironic, because (and I swear I’m not lying), I was going to make my own list of keeper rankings today. Of course, only having 7 keepers in your list isn’t going to help that much if you’ve got more than 7 teams in your league. So, I’ll still be getting that list together (hopefully later today or tomorrow).

Something else to look at for next season: iPhone app for fantasy basketball draft. It sounds like everyone has to be using the app, though, and since I want a a Google phone rather than an iPhone, I won’t be able to be in your draft if you’re using that app. (For the record, if someone wanted to give me an iPhone, I wouldn’t turn it down or anything).

Also, let’s hope that you can do pre-rankings so that your draft doesn’t end up looking like this:

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To get you started, Sports2Debate has an NBA Mock Draft (two rounds even!) so you can familiarize yourself for the tournament. Their Mock was updated just 3 days ago, so it’s got to be at least somewhat relevant, right?

DraftExpress was the site I was hitting up last year to get the latest on the Bulls luckiest lottery ever. NBADraft.net is another one that I’ve heard of. And I’ll throw in MyNBADraft.com because they were the 3rd site on Google, which has to count for something.

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Who is the easiest to get along with on the Bulls?
Joakim Noah, because he speaks French.

Who do you want the Bulls to take with the first pick?
Derrick Rose, because he is from Chicago.

I’m sure there was more to it than that, but she was also busy with getting autographs for me (and a bunch of other teachers who were too scared to ask).

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Here’s my new mantra:
Oh, pleasely, Paxson, Beasley, Paxson.

I bet you wouldn’t think I thought I could be a poet at one point. Yup. I was even in a Poetry Slam once. Not at the Green Mill, of course… but nevertheless, I did perform a piece of spoken word in front of people who were not my parents, nor friends, nor my uncle (in law).

Anyway, enough about me… How about them Bulls???

Yeeeeeeee HA!

Update(s):

I guess my lack of knowledge about college basketball is showing something fierce right now… It seems everyone (who matters) around the blogosphere wants the Bulls to take Derrick Rose.

Blog-A-Bull has a poll you can vote in. What the hell, another post from Blog-A-Bull.

Top 10 Chicago Sports also says to pick Rose. And they often post things like Top 10 Sexpots Who’d Play Disney Characters, so you have to listen to them at least a little.

And, Thank You Isaiah is evidently going to have a 7+ man riot if the Bulls don’t take Rose.

Update 2 Two more links:
The initial Midnight Posting by Tremendous Upside Potential with off-the-dome reasoning for Derrick Rose. And another one so blantantly pro-Derrick Rose it’s not even funny. But it does have a YouTube video that’s pretty funny.

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