It can be hard to pick in the middle. You miss out on the top four or five options in the game. After that, 11-12 players go off the board between each and every pick you make. Ron landed in the number six position for our draft and I think he fared quite well. He is relying on some veterans to bounce but also has a nice collection of younger players ready to step up their game.

For a list of all the draft picks, click here. Let us now take a look at what Ron thinks of his team.

The roster: (overall pick in parentheses)

1. Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, Miami Heat (6)
2. Andrei Kirilenko, SF/PF, Utah Jazz (19)
3. Mike Bibby, PG, Sacramento Kings (30)
4. Mehmet Okur, C, Utah Jazz (43)
5. Mike James, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves (54)
6. Nenad Krstic, PF/C, New Jersey Nets (67)
7. Troy Murphy, PF, Golden State Warriors (78)
8. Richard Hamilton, SG, Detroit Pistons (91)
9. Danny Granger, SF/PF, Indiana Pacers (102)
10. Steve Francis, PG/SG, New York Knicks (115)
11. Stromile Swift, PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (126)
12. Kevin Martin, SG, Sacramento Kings (139)
13. Antoine Walker, SF/PF, Miami Heat (150)

The Q & A:

1. Which player was your best pick, value-wise? Kevin Martin, Round 12, Pick 7 (139)
I think he has the inside edge on the starting SG job in Sacramento. Last year in February, Martin averaged 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.0 steals. Martin is a candidate for breakout player this season.

2. Which player was your worst pick, value-wise? Danny Granger, Round 9, Pick 6 (102)
With Al Harrington in Indiana, this puts a cloud over Granger. Will Coach Carlisle start Granger or have him come off the bench? If Granger is starting then I will be more comfortable with this potential stat-stuffer pick.

3. Which player was your risk/reward pick, the pick you gambled on to have a good season? Steve Francis, Round 10, Pick 7 (115)
It was not too long ago that Francis was a top 30 pick. It goes to show how Isiah can ruin your fantasy value. Rumour has it that Francis will play off-guard to Stephon Marbury’s point guard. If Francis gets starter minutes, then he will contribute solid stats across the board.

4. Other than your own, which manager do you think has the strongest team?I want to give props to The Uwe Blab Confab team from The Basketball Jones. If key players like Webber, Stojakovic and G. Wallace can stay healthy, then this team will be challenging for the top spot. I think Yao will have a big year.

My 10 cents on this team:

I mentioned in the write-up on my team that I like Ron’s team. He managed to pair each guard who brings a lot to the table but does not shoot many treys (Wade and Hamilton) with guards who can drain a bunch of shots from behind the arc (Bibby and Mike James). Okur and Krstic are good percentage centers, albeit ones with a relatively low block total. If Francis bounces back and Granger and Kevin Martin step it up, Ron and his team will make some noise this year. It will all come down to AK-47 and his knees…but the 7th pick in the second round is a nice spot to take a chance.