The Fig Cap: “I fell to fourth?  FOURTH?!?!”

So, somehow, this little fantasy basketball blog of ours was able to get into this group of experts for some mocking.  We feel we held our own and were happy to join the banter as the draft moved along.  NOTE: Matt Buser made a comment along the lines of Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry bringing the Knicks back to prominence.  As a realistic Knicks fan I took umbrage… apparently, I was the only one that didn’t get that Buser was kidding.  Check out his Curry Line.  Sometimes I take my Knicks TOO seriously.  I’m such a dummy.

Anyway, you’ll also see Sarge in the mock repping Sports Grumblings, which you should definitely check out AFTER DroppingDimes.com of course.  In any case, since Sarge knows my tendencies (Take it easy out there… I meant draft tendencies), he was actually predicting some of my picks in the draft chat.  I’m convinced he’s my fantasy sports hetero-lifemate.

Here’s the rest of the experts that participated in the draft in selecting order…

1. Dennis Matecun, MockDraftCentral.com Member
2. Scott Sargent, SportsGrumblings.com
3. David Klyce, HoopsKlyce.com
4. Me, Myself, and I, Dropping Dimes
5. Jorge Menocal, Fantasy Insider Online
6. Geoff Stein, Mock Draft Central Senior Editor
7. Matt Buser, Yahoo!
8. Ken Slight, Basketball Monster
9. Steve Alexander, RotoWorld
10. Jim Ganschow, Fantasy Basketball Cafe
11. Tommy Beer, Hoops World
12. BJ VanderWoude, GameTimeDecisions.net

You can check the results from this draft and feel free to leave your comments about it.  In the meantime, I’ll take the opportunity to speak about my team, which I was for the most part happy about.  I won’t bother to analyze the other picks because, well, they’re all good at what they do for a reason.

Here are the settings for the league: it’s a ROTO league that starts 4 G, 4F, and 2 C with 4 BN using the standard eight categories without turnovers.  For you newbs, that’s PTS, REB, AST, 3 PTM, FG%, FT%, STL, BLK.  I picked fourth overall and did my best to rep DD.  If you don’t like it, well, I’m all you got.

1.4. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns

Everyone and their dog that reads this blog regularly knows that I have a man-crush on The Matrix.  Okay, fine, so I didn’t take him second overall in our current Mock Draft Blog, but I really wanted to write about Kobe Bryant, plus… well, I think I choose Bryant number one overall in every draft I’m in this season.  Next I would choose Kevin Garnett, THEN Marion.  So, getting him fourth overall made me happier than a fat kid with a bowlful of Doritos Cool Ranch in front of him.  And by that I mean a fat stoner kid.

2.9. Andre Iguodala, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers

Man, I really think Iggy (no more calling him AI2 per the resident Sixers’ request; hope you’re happy Satten!) is going to improve on last season.  And if you look at 2006-07’s stats, there’s only one thing you can say about any increase in production this season - mind-blowing.  It’s like watching The Usual Suspects and in the end finding out that Kaiser Souza really is… well, see the movie.  It’s the best thing Stephen Baldwin ever did.  Maybe the only thing?

3.4. Gerald Wallace, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets

I love me some Crash Wallace.  The guy is a defensive stats beast!  Combining him with Marion should help me be at the top somewhere in the blocks and steals categories and if Wallace averages even a few points less than last season because of Jason Richardson‘s arrival, it won’t make me mad at all.  It’d be like getting mad at Scarlett Johansson because she burped!  Okay, add in Wallace’s UNgood “accuracy” from the charity stripe, and Scarlett not only burps, but passes wind every now and then… big deal.  IT’S SCARLETT JOHANSSON!!!  If somehow Miss Johansson is reading this, “Scarlett, I accept all of your faults.  You’re still beautiful to me, no matter what anyone says.”  Someone get a restraining order!

4.9. Antawn Jamison, SF/PF, Washington Wizards

Jamison, you’ve been served!  Okay, only insofar (yes, it’s real word… I checked) that his teammate Caron Butler has passed him in fantasy terms as the second best player AFTER Agent Zero on the Wizards.  However, the Jamison is a dynamite scorer on the level of Mystery from VH1’s The Pick-Up Artist (geez, I suck at TV)... he gets it done. Jamison should help pick up Wallace’s ineptitude at the line and any decrease in scoring, while also adding triples-made and glass cleanings of errant balls.

5.4. Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Seattle SuperSonics

(Shakes Magic 8 Ball)
Will Kevin Durant be the best rookie to draft this season?
(The pyramid in the Magic 8 Ball settles)
“All signs point to DUH!”
Well, folks, that’s good enough for me.

6.9. Jason Richardson, SG/SF, Charlotte Bobcats

I’ll be honest with you, I saw Richardson available here in the sixth round and I was ecstatic.  I mean, I started hooting, hollering, and pointing my finger at my computer monitor while yelling and paraphrasing one of the more famous lines from the classic Dave Chappelle Show - “I’m J-Rich, biatch!”  I think Richardson will get back to his prime Yay* days and score in more bunches than those by the crotch of a fat guy’s pants when he stands up.  Add the excellent boards from the guard position, the rain of threes that will come and we have ourselves a pretty good sixth-rounder here. 

7.4. Jameer Nelson, PG, Orlando Magic

Rashard Lewis spotting up for a J and Dwight Howard down in the block are some nice options to see when you’re a point guard and that will be Nelson’s vision to behold.  However, Jameer has the ability to put the ball through the basket and snap that twine himself.  Hopefully he puts it all together this season.  Relative to my team, I needed dimes more than a panhandler in a NYC subway and there weren’t too many options left…

8.9. Mike Conley, Jr., PG, Memphis Grizzlies

... which is why I took the chance on Conley here in the eighth round.  I just had visions of Conley throwing the ball in the post to Pau Gasol or penetrating and kicking the ball out to Mike Miller for three or dishing to a slashing Rudy Gay to rock the rim.  Then the realization of Pau’s best friend from his Spain team, Juan Carlos Navarro hit me as I saw him walking on the court and basically C-blocking… Conley-blocking that is. 

9.4. Shaquille O’Neal, C, Miami Heat

No, seriously, I DO want to finish well in the Free Throw Percentage category.  However, there were slimmer pickings at center than Victoria Beckham AKA Posh Spice.  So, I went with the Diesel and the jokes ensued from the crowd of experts - “Is fat a category?”; “Are injuries a category?”; “So, you WANT to finish with one point in FT%, huh?”... okay, so the last one was me thinking it in my head.  Listen, I had to go with talent.  Talent and a prayer.  Talent, a prayer, and no visits to the hospital.  I can only hope Shaq’s wife was holding him back.

10.9. Nick Collison, PF/C, Seattle SuperSonics

I really like this pick here.  Collison is a solid, solid player.  He won’t wow you in any way, but as long as he’s steady from the floor, boards, and get a block here and there, I’m more than happy having him as my C2.  Yeah, just like Collison’s game, I’m keeping his description “vanilla.”

11.4. Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Indiana Pacers

Ever since drafting Tinsley here, I’ve been wondering if there’s any way that I can create an invisible barrier between Tinsley and every single strip club in America.  Thus far, I haven’t found a way to get him married.  Seriously, the dude is talented as heck, but he definitely seems more interested in the roundness of derrieres than of basketballs.  In any case, if in the right frame of mind, Tinsley should be a steal here, which is appropriate since he’s one of the better ball thieves in the league.  Plus, at this point (no pun intended), I’m still looking for solid assists guys.  Thank goodness I have guys that will offset Tinsley’s awful shooting from the field.  Speaking of shooting… nah, I won’t get into that.

12.9. J.R. Smith, SG, Denver Nuggets

Smith will be a great source of threes and points off the bench, however, I’d never want him in a fight with me as he basically got punked by 5’9” (riiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhhhhhhhtttt) New York Knicks SHOOTING guard Nate Robinson.  Regardless, at least Smith didn’t try to sucker punch anyone.  Hello, Melo.

13.4. Sean Williams, C, New Jersey Nets

Williams could be a great sleeper in leagues that require two centers.  Why?  The dude averaged like 55 blocked shots per game while at Boston College!!!  Okay, maybe not 55, but the boy has hops and a great ability to get his hand between the basket and a shooter’s shot.  He’ll be a Kendrick Perkins type where all he’s good for is putting “Spalding” across opponent’s foreheads when he rams it back in their face, but still, he’s not a bad backup at all.

14.9. Bobby Simmons, SF, Milwaukee Bucks

My man, Patrick Snajder, was holding my hand during this whole draft.  Okay, not really, but I was going back and forth with him on G-Chat during the whole thing, throwing out some names, then he’d throw out some names, we’d agree and disagree on some of them, and the universe remained in harmony.  Well, I blame Pat for this pick.  Check out his personal blog, A World of Logical Consequences and you’ll be able to tell that there’s nothing logical about this pick.  Thanks, Pat… thanks for nothing!  Just kidding… not a bad pick in the 14th round… but, really, other than drafting free agent Charles Oakley, is anything really bad this far down?

* Yay; not as in a Richard Simmons “yay,” but short for the Bay Area in California AKA The Bay AKA The Yay.