Round 6, Pick 9: Nenad Krstic, PF/C, New Jersey Nets

On a squad that already totes one of the leagues best rebounders in Kevin Garnett, along with solid forward options in Rasheed Wallace and Rashard Lewis, I don’t exactly need front court help.  However, what I do need is someone that is actually center-eligible for two reasons:

  1) We start two centers in this league, and I see the drop-off from this point being quite steep, and…
  2) Rasheed Wallace lost his center-status this year in a lot of leagues.  While I fully expect him to get it back at some point, I’ll need someone in there now.

Add in the fact that Krstic will eventually be my “C2,” and he could end up being a steal this late in the draft in a two-center league.

Yes, his past stats lack any “wow” factor in every way.  He’s a seven-footer that frequently gets out-rebounded by his point guard, he struggles to shoot 70% from the line, and can’t even rack up a block a game.  Some “steal,” right?

Well, it’s not secret that I tend to bump players up on my draft sheets that do not participate in international play during the off season.  After 82 game seasons, these guys need rest! 

Krstic has played for the Serbian National team for the past seven summers…meaning that he hasn’t had a solid month’s rest in over seven years!  This year, Nenad decided that his body needed the down time, and took the summer off to work out on his own as opposed to enduring the non-stop play of the International leagues.

More rest equals more running, and more running equals more production when you have Jason Kidd leading your team down the floor.  Kidd has a way to make everyone on his team better.  Weigh in the fact that head coach Lawrence Frank has focused most of his pre-season efforts on running, and you have yourself a guy that will take it to the next level this season.

Krstic will be a solid addition to this team that features three premier forwards to go with two solid point guards.  He’ll pad the rebounds even more, will block a few shots, and aid the field goal percentage a bit.  Word out of camp is that Krstic is hitting three-balls (which would be my second long-range big man, by the way) and improving his shot-blocking.  If he can manage to increase the boards-per-game conisistently, he could be a solid first center, let alone second.

Other Team Members:

1.4. Kevin Garnett, SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves
2.9. Rasheed Wallace, PF/C, Detroit Pistons
3.4. Rashard Lewis, SF, Seattle Supersonics
4.9. Jason Terry, PG, Dallas Mavericks
5.4. Mike James, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves