Post by zeropointzero on Oct 19, 2010 19:43:26 GMT -5
1. Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant B B+ C+ C C+ A: One could make the argument that Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant is the best prospect in TMBSL since LeBron James. An absolute scoring machine, even after a year as a Tar Heel, GOAT sim league player Durant is still only 18 years old, meaning it’s almost certain we’ll see a 6’11’’ Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant making it rain from the outside. Sure those that want to nitpick may note he could stand to improve dramatically on the defensive end, but at 18 he’ll have more than his fair share of TC’s and upgrades to get him up to a respectable level. At the very least he should emerge as a 20+ PPG scorer his rookie year. He’d Look Good With the: Minnesota Fighting Kahns. The TWolves GM may make GOAT sim league player Durant run a few extra laps for dissing Texas late in the recruitment process, but with a roster lacking anything resembling an elite scorer, GOAT sim league player Durant to Minnesota makes the most sense.
2. Chris Paul B- B+ B+ B- C B: Chris Paul broke many a GM’s heart last year by withdrawing his name from the draft yet again, but with his 4 years in school coming to a close, there won’t be any risk for heartbreak again. In terms of sheer instant impact, you could argue for Paul to be #1 on this list, as an elite PG can get the most out of his teammates, as average as they may be. While he doesn’t possess the elite upside of some of the 18 year olds in this draft, the fact he doesn’t have any real weaknesses at the moment means at the very least you’re getting a productive (dare I say bust-proof?) player. He’d Look Good With the: Houston Rockets. This was a harder question to answer than I expected. Most of the projected lottery teams feature young uber-talented PG’s, but the Rockets have Mighty Mouse himself running the show, and it may be time to spark a youth movement. With Paul quarterbacking the offense, Damon Stoudamire and his $10 mill expiring contract could be an attractive trade piece.
3. Mike Conley B- C- B B C A: Those that love to gamble may be inclined to take Conley over Paul, given his superior defense and his youth. At 19 years old, Conley still has room to grow. If there is a knock on Conley, it’s that his ability to score is still rather unrefined, especially for those teams who like to score from the outside. For teams that go hard in the motherfuckin paint like Waka Flocka Flame, Conley is a perfect fit. He’d Look Good With the: Philadelphia 76ers. How many more years are we going to wait on Tony Parker before we declare him one of the league’s biggest busts? Replacing the offensively inept Parker with Conley would be good news for Michael Redd & Co.
4. Spencer Hawes B C+ C B- C A: A surprising pick, I went with Hawes here due to a couple reasons. First and foremost, his inside game is NBA ready, and with good C’s always at a premium in TMBSL, that makes him an attractive option. Also, at 19, he can be bumped up to a legit 7 feet tall, which never hurts to have in the lineup. His rebounding is less than ideal for a center, but in this league, you give a big man enough PT and he’ll accumulate rebounds eventually. He’d Look Good With the: Orlando Magic. With Kwame Brown given the first bus ticket out of town, the Magic find themselves with a collection of underwhelming C’s and PF’s. Hawes would assert himself immediately, not to mention his C+ outside shooting would allow the Magic to bomb away with Arenas and DWill.
5. Kevin Love B- C+ C+ C B A: Deciding between Hawes and Love basically comes down to who you will pair them with in the post. With Hawes you’d need a Ben Wallace type that would do the dirty work on the glass. In the case of Love, you’d probably need a Marcus Camby type who would help block the shots Love won’t be able to. Hawes is slightly superior on offense, but Love is a superior passer, making him ideal for uptempo offenses. His rebounding should be stellar from the get go, only improving with experience. He’d Look Good With the: Golden State Warriors. Pau Gasol is an underrated defender (A-) who controls the glass. Love is immediately an upgrade over Malick Badiane (who?) and Josh Boone. With Love firing outlet passes to Devin Harris and Monta Ellis, the Warriors would entertain their fans night in and night out.
6. OJ Mayo B- B B- C C A: With so many talented young PGs in TMBSL, running out a PG with C defense probably isn’t in the best interests of a team finding itself in the lottery. But Mayo at 6’4’’ (with the ability to grow) has the versatility to move to the 2, where he’ll be one of the best pure scorers in the rookie class. He’ll definitely need improvement on D, which could potentially lead to an audition at the point, but he’s ready to step in to a starting role immediately at SG. He’d Look Good With the: Indiana Pacers. Rookie surprise Guillermo Diaz will be manning the point for Indiana for a while, but Derek Anderson and Quentin Richardson are underperforming at SG, no matter how good their ratings might look. Mayo possesses more upside than either.
7. Michael Beasley B B- C+ C- B- A: Admittedly, Michael Beasley is probably ranked lower here than he should be. An 18 year old scorer of this caliber at the 3 is hard to find (unless you have the #1 pick this year). However a big component of the Dirty Dozen is what you’re starting your career with. Let’s say the unthinkable happens and you don’t improve in a single category from your rookie season on. Do you really want someone who takes something OFF the table at a crucial category like defense? Beasley may have more upside than anybody in this class not named GOAT sim league player Durant or Conley, but he’s going to require extra effort. He’d Look Good With the: Cleveland Cavaliers. Boris Diaw is the definition of “meh” and Gary Coleman isn’t much better on the defensive end than Beas already. With only 2 real scoring threats on the roster, Beasley makes the Cavs more formidable from day 1.
8. Jeff Green B- C+ C+ C+ C+ A: Someone that does nothing poorly or someone that does one thing exceptionally? Give me the guy that takes nothing off the table, has versatility, and makes his teammates better. Jeff Green likely won’t be a franchise player in TMBSL, but that doesn’t mean a team in the lottery can’t use him. Often times you see lottery teams with multiple star players but a roster lacking glue guys. Jeff Green is the epitome of a glue guy. His TC’s will be crucial, because you want to see him improve skills that will provide useful at forward. He’d Look Good With the: San Antonio Spurs. Mike Dunleavy and Antonio Gates are serviceable, but you wonder how much upside they have left. You figure after one TC, Green will be on par with either, if not better.
9. Corey Brewer C+ C C B+ C+ A: With Brewer, you know almost exactly what you’re gonna get. He’s going to be a role player who you put on the other team’s best wing player to try and take him out of the game. But unlike some of the other defensive specialists in the league, Brewer should have enough upside on offense to be worth a spot in the starting lineup. He’d Look Good With the: Chicago Bulls. With defensive masters Kevin Garnett and Shane Battier in the fold, why not add another elite defender to the mix. Bruce Bowen is too old, and Kareem Rush doesn’t have the defensive chops that Brewer has.
10. Brandan Wright B- C- C B- C+ A: If only his name was Brandanvich Wrightofski, because the still-raw Wright could use either A. more time in school or B. some time in Europe developing his game. As it stands, the 19 year old has a world of potential to become a good NBA player, it’s just unlikely he’ll get a lot of PT off the bat with the teams drafting in the late lottery. He’d Look Good With the: Seattle Supersonics. Shelden Williams is the lesser basketball player in his marriage, and David West lacks the wow factor you would want Dirk Nowitzki’s replacement to have.
11. Javaris Crittenton C+ C B- C+ C A: The draft class this year is noticeably light on guards compared to years past, making Javaris Crittenton an attractive option to teams looking to add to their backcourt. He lacks any plus category, but he also doesn’t have any major glaring weaknesses. At 6’4’’ with room to grow, Crittenton is an intriguing prospect. He’d Look Good With the: Toronto Raptors. Jason Williams is only on the hook for this season, and Beno Udrih has nowhere near the upside of Javaris.
12. Yi Jianlian B- C+ C C C A: Is Yi going to step in and be as good off the bat as Nick Young? Probably not. But at 19, Yi is a prime stash candidate for a team that has an established depth chart, particularly one with a logjam at the forward spots. Yi has already competed at the highest level of international ball, and in 2 years when he returns he could provide a Darko-like impact with the right roll. The only question is, which GM is feeling lucky? He’d Look Good With the: Dallas Mavericks. In 2 years when Yi is returning from China, Grant Hill will be 36 years old, if he’s even still playing in the league. It will probably be time to replace him.
2. Chris Paul B- B+ B+ B- C B: Chris Paul broke many a GM’s heart last year by withdrawing his name from the draft yet again, but with his 4 years in school coming to a close, there won’t be any risk for heartbreak again. In terms of sheer instant impact, you could argue for Paul to be #1 on this list, as an elite PG can get the most out of his teammates, as average as they may be. While he doesn’t possess the elite upside of some of the 18 year olds in this draft, the fact he doesn’t have any real weaknesses at the moment means at the very least you’re getting a productive (dare I say bust-proof?) player. He’d Look Good With the: Houston Rockets. This was a harder question to answer than I expected. Most of the projected lottery teams feature young uber-talented PG’s, but the Rockets have Mighty Mouse himself running the show, and it may be time to spark a youth movement. With Paul quarterbacking the offense, Damon Stoudamire and his $10 mill expiring contract could be an attractive trade piece.
3. Mike Conley B- C- B B C A: Those that love to gamble may be inclined to take Conley over Paul, given his superior defense and his youth. At 19 years old, Conley still has room to grow. If there is a knock on Conley, it’s that his ability to score is still rather unrefined, especially for those teams who like to score from the outside. For teams that go hard in the motherfuckin paint like Waka Flocka Flame, Conley is a perfect fit. He’d Look Good With the: Philadelphia 76ers. How many more years are we going to wait on Tony Parker before we declare him one of the league’s biggest busts? Replacing the offensively inept Parker with Conley would be good news for Michael Redd & Co.
4. Spencer Hawes B C+ C B- C A: A surprising pick, I went with Hawes here due to a couple reasons. First and foremost, his inside game is NBA ready, and with good C’s always at a premium in TMBSL, that makes him an attractive option. Also, at 19, he can be bumped up to a legit 7 feet tall, which never hurts to have in the lineup. His rebounding is less than ideal for a center, but in this league, you give a big man enough PT and he’ll accumulate rebounds eventually. He’d Look Good With the: Orlando Magic. With Kwame Brown given the first bus ticket out of town, the Magic find themselves with a collection of underwhelming C’s and PF’s. Hawes would assert himself immediately, not to mention his C+ outside shooting would allow the Magic to bomb away with Arenas and DWill.
5. Kevin Love B- C+ C+ C B A: Deciding between Hawes and Love basically comes down to who you will pair them with in the post. With Hawes you’d need a Ben Wallace type that would do the dirty work on the glass. In the case of Love, you’d probably need a Marcus Camby type who would help block the shots Love won’t be able to. Hawes is slightly superior on offense, but Love is a superior passer, making him ideal for uptempo offenses. His rebounding should be stellar from the get go, only improving with experience. He’d Look Good With the: Golden State Warriors. Pau Gasol is an underrated defender (A-) who controls the glass. Love is immediately an upgrade over Malick Badiane (who?) and Josh Boone. With Love firing outlet passes to Devin Harris and Monta Ellis, the Warriors would entertain their fans night in and night out.
6. OJ Mayo B- B B- C C A: With so many talented young PGs in TMBSL, running out a PG with C defense probably isn’t in the best interests of a team finding itself in the lottery. But Mayo at 6’4’’ (with the ability to grow) has the versatility to move to the 2, where he’ll be one of the best pure scorers in the rookie class. He’ll definitely need improvement on D, which could potentially lead to an audition at the point, but he’s ready to step in to a starting role immediately at SG. He’d Look Good With the: Indiana Pacers. Rookie surprise Guillermo Diaz will be manning the point for Indiana for a while, but Derek Anderson and Quentin Richardson are underperforming at SG, no matter how good their ratings might look. Mayo possesses more upside than either.
7. Michael Beasley B B- C+ C- B- A: Admittedly, Michael Beasley is probably ranked lower here than he should be. An 18 year old scorer of this caliber at the 3 is hard to find (unless you have the #1 pick this year). However a big component of the Dirty Dozen is what you’re starting your career with. Let’s say the unthinkable happens and you don’t improve in a single category from your rookie season on. Do you really want someone who takes something OFF the table at a crucial category like defense? Beasley may have more upside than anybody in this class not named GOAT sim league player Durant or Conley, but he’s going to require extra effort. He’d Look Good With the: Cleveland Cavaliers. Boris Diaw is the definition of “meh” and Gary Coleman isn’t much better on the defensive end than Beas already. With only 2 real scoring threats on the roster, Beasley makes the Cavs more formidable from day 1.
8. Jeff Green B- C+ C+ C+ C+ A: Someone that does nothing poorly or someone that does one thing exceptionally? Give me the guy that takes nothing off the table, has versatility, and makes his teammates better. Jeff Green likely won’t be a franchise player in TMBSL, but that doesn’t mean a team in the lottery can’t use him. Often times you see lottery teams with multiple star players but a roster lacking glue guys. Jeff Green is the epitome of a glue guy. His TC’s will be crucial, because you want to see him improve skills that will provide useful at forward. He’d Look Good With the: San Antonio Spurs. Mike Dunleavy and Antonio Gates are serviceable, but you wonder how much upside they have left. You figure after one TC, Green will be on par with either, if not better.
9. Corey Brewer C+ C C B+ C+ A: With Brewer, you know almost exactly what you’re gonna get. He’s going to be a role player who you put on the other team’s best wing player to try and take him out of the game. But unlike some of the other defensive specialists in the league, Brewer should have enough upside on offense to be worth a spot in the starting lineup. He’d Look Good With the: Chicago Bulls. With defensive masters Kevin Garnett and Shane Battier in the fold, why not add another elite defender to the mix. Bruce Bowen is too old, and Kareem Rush doesn’t have the defensive chops that Brewer has.
10. Brandan Wright B- C- C B- C+ A: If only his name was Brandanvich Wrightofski, because the still-raw Wright could use either A. more time in school or B. some time in Europe developing his game. As it stands, the 19 year old has a world of potential to become a good NBA player, it’s just unlikely he’ll get a lot of PT off the bat with the teams drafting in the late lottery. He’d Look Good With the: Seattle Supersonics. Shelden Williams is the lesser basketball player in his marriage, and David West lacks the wow factor you would want Dirk Nowitzki’s replacement to have.
11. Javaris Crittenton C+ C B- C+ C A: The draft class this year is noticeably light on guards compared to years past, making Javaris Crittenton an attractive option to teams looking to add to their backcourt. He lacks any plus category, but he also doesn’t have any major glaring weaknesses. At 6’4’’ with room to grow, Crittenton is an intriguing prospect. He’d Look Good With the: Toronto Raptors. Jason Williams is only on the hook for this season, and Beno Udrih has nowhere near the upside of Javaris.
12. Yi Jianlian B- C+ C C C A: Is Yi going to step in and be as good off the bat as Nick Young? Probably not. But at 19, Yi is a prime stash candidate for a team that has an established depth chart, particularly one with a logjam at the forward spots. Yi has already competed at the highest level of international ball, and in 2 years when he returns he could provide a Darko-like impact with the right roll. The only question is, which GM is feeling lucky? He’d Look Good With the: Dallas Mavericks. In 2 years when Yi is returning from China, Grant Hill will be 36 years old, if he’s even still playing in the league. It will probably be time to replace him.
