Round 5, Pick 5: Morris Peterson, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors

Poor Morris Peterson.  He’ll never get a chance to shine, but it’s not so bad being like the Barney to another player’s Fred, the Rocky to Bullwinkle, the Milli to Vanilli.  Yes, folks, Mo Pete is the classic wingman… the Goose of the NBA.  But, despite the unsavory associations of playing second fiddle, don’t sleep on Peterson because he’s got game.  Maybe not Jesus Shuttlesworth game, but there ain’t nothing wrong with Mo the Baptist, so let me stand up and TESTIFY!

Vince Carter (hold your boos, T-Dot), Jalen Rose, Rafer Alston, and Mike James were several players that held Peterson back from the guard and forward positions and from coming to the forefront and getting his looks.  But, now they’re all gone and there’s only Chris Bosh as the number one option on offense with Peterson sliding in as the veteran second option.  And since Rose left last season, Peterson really has stepped it up and it should continue this upcoming season.

Want proof?  Read the book of Peterson, chapter 5, verse 5. 

While Peterson finished up averaging a very good 16.8 ppg last season, it’s not going to get one excited as much as 20-point scorer would, so I give to you the last three months of the season’s shooting/scoring production for Peterson:

February: 11 G; 40.7 MPG; 18.4 PPG; 2.7 3PG; 43.7 FG%; 83.3 FT%
March: 16 G; 44.2 MPG; 21.0 PPG; 2.7 3PG; 46.6 FG%; 81.4 FT%
April: 10 G; 41.6 MPG; 21.5 PPG; 2.0 3PG; 41.2 FG%; 87.5 FT%

So, now, can I ask you?  Are you excited?  Well, are you?  Shoot, I know I am!  Especially considering that the Raptors got themselves a pass-first point guard in T.J. Ford, acquiring him from the Milwaukee Bucks by trading the promising young forward, Charlie Villanueva.  And they let the shoot-first James go in free agency to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  These two main factors spell success for Mo Pete and dare I say averaging 20 points or thereabouts is not too far off to expect from Peterson and it will be a welcome addition to any fantasy team besides this one.

As you may have noticed from the stats above, Peterson can hit from downtown on the regular where he has a career average of hitting the moneyball 1.5 times a game, hitting a very respectable 37.3% of them.  And speaking of percentages, being mostly a perimeter player, Peterson does well for himself as he shot 43.6% from the field last season and shoots 42.0% for his career.  Again, he’s a perimeter player, so you’re not going to get fantastic numbers from the FG% category.  However, because he’s a perimeter player, he can take advantage of going to the line without a defensive player in his face, shooting 82.0% from the charity stripe last season and shooting no less than 80.9% in the past three seasons.  Mo Pete is a straight up shooter!

But what else does he bring to the table?

Peterson averaged a career high 4.6 rpg last season and 4.0+ in the three of the last four seasons.  So, you’ll get decent production from this category, but since (can I say it again) Mo Pete is a perimeter player, he doesn’t get many chances for boards.  Regarding dime drops, Peterson averages about two per game for his whole career, but setting up his teammates and finding the open man isn’t Peterson’s main gig.  He also contributes with one steal per game, which will help add to your fantasy team’s stats for the week or season.  And for those of you that play in ROTO, Peterson should help your team all season long as he’s played every single game the past four seasons.  So, this table of other skills is average as nothing else really stands out. 

But, enjoy the points, FT%, and the treys.  Believe in the word according to Mo Pete.  He can actually end up being a saving grace for your fantasy squad.

How He Fits On This Fantasy Basketball Team

Peterson adds to the points that Bryant brings as the other team members aren’t exactly going to light it up.  More triples from Peterson gives me three players that can fill it up from beyond the arch and Peterson’s proficiency from the free-throw line helps brings up the low percentage that Howard brings to the team.  I’ll probably need to look at more assists down the road, but I couldn’t resist the potential for Peterson this upcoming season for a team that has the talent to go up and down the floor ala the Phoenix Suns (remember new GM Bryan Colangelo came from the Suns where he helped build that team), especially with Ford setting the pace, Bosh a presence down in the post and on the break, and of course, Mo Pete setting up on the perimeter for an open shot.  To paraphrase the Weather Girls - “It’s raining J’s!  Hallelujah!  It’s raining J’s!  Amen!”

Other Team Members:

1.5. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
2.8. Jason Kidd, PG, New Jersey Nets
3.5. Dwight Howard, PF, Orlando Magic
4.8. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cleveland Cavaliers