Top 25 Player Rankings for 2009-10
April 25, 2009 by Evil E
There’s no doubt that Kevin Durant and Danny Granger have emerged as Top 10 players, but should they be drafted ahead of the great Kobe Bryant???
The postseason just started, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next year. So here is Version 1.0 of my Top 25 Rankings for the 2009-10 season. Surely some players will move up and down over the summer depending on free agent signings and draft picks, but this is a good start to spark some discussion.
Note that my preference is usually for 8-cat Roto leagues, but I’ve tried to create a list that could apply to multiple scoring formats. For example, I would rank the Man-Beast a couple spots lower in a 9-cat Roto league, but I would rank him a few spots higher in an 8-cat H2H or Points-based league. So without further ado, here is an early look at my Top 25 picks for next season…
#1A. Chris Paul
Once again, LeBron was the most popular #1 pick, and while he certainly didn’t disappoint, I can GUARANTEE you that CP3 led more fantasy teams to titles this past year. Once again, the point guard dominated the assist and steal categories (he had 20% more steals than the #2 man D. Wade!), and he also posted career-highs in points, rebounds, FG%, FT%, and free throws made. For 2009-10, LeBron will be the consensus #1 pick yet again, but CP3 is the safer pick.
#1B. LeBron James
I’ve said for several years now that LeBron needs to shoot 77% from the line or better to prove worthy of his #1 pick status. Well, it finally happened, as James made a career-best 78% of his freebies in ‘08-09. He also shot a career-best 48.9% from the field, but LeBron’s ridiculous upside lies in his 3-point shooting numbers. After shooting a paltry 30% from beyond the arc in November, December, and January, LBJ made an impressive 39.6% (76-192) of his threes from February thru April. Obviously, if he could make 2 treys per game on 38% 3P shooting over an entire season, his value would soar thru the roof. However, when it comes to his 3-point shooting and free throw shooting, there are no guarantees. If you land the #2 pick, it’s a win-win situation.
#3. Dwyane Wade
The NBA doesn’t have a Comeback Player of the Year award anymore, but if they did, my Top 3 finalists would be Dwyane Wade, Nene, and Chris Andersen. Flash led the league in scoring, was 2nd in steals, 8th in assists, and 16th in blocks. His FG% was rock solid, he missed just 1 game due to injury (sat out the final 2 to rest for the postseason), and he even set career-highs in threes made and 3P% while cutting his turnovers down drastically. As Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley continue to improve, that will help take some pressure off of Wade, thus allowing him to continue putting up phenomenal statistics.
#4. Kevin Durant
Looking at his season numbers, it’s hard to believe that Durant got off to a slow start this year. But when he averaged just 19.5 points on 44.3% FG shooting and made just 1 three in his first 6 games, I remember hearing complaints from his owners. Of course, he shut all of those people up by dropping these MIND-BLOWING numbers from December – February: 40 games played, 27.6 points, 7.7 boards, 3.4 assists, 1.6 threes, 1.5 steals, .8 blocks, 49.9% FG, 86.1% FT. So when he wasn’t being slowed down by PJ Carlesimo at the beginning of the season and an ankle injury at the end of the season, he was hands down the 4th best fantasy player in the NBA. And he doesn’t turn 21 until September. WOW.
#5. Danny Granger
Quite simply, Granger had an incredible fantasy season, finishing the season ranked 2nd in threes made, 5th in scoring, 10th in free throws made, 13th in FT%, and 20th in blocked shots. He also set a career-high with 2.7 assists per game, while his 2.5 turnovers was much lower than the guys ranked ahead of him. Critics will say that he’s not as durable as Kobe and that his threes and blocks will likely decline, but he just turned 26 and is in the prime of his career. As a result, that Bryant dude is no longer in my Top 5.
#6. Kobe Bryant
Without looking, can you guess how many times per game Kobe got to the line this season? 10, 9, 8, 7… just 6.9 times! He attempted 9 freebies per game in ‘07-08 and 10+ in each of the 3 seasons prior, and as a career 84% FT shooter, that used to be one of his biggest strengths. However, the drop-off means that Durant & Granger are now just as good (if not better) in that category, and Kobe also saw his points, rebounds, threes, and minutes played decline to their lowest levels in several years. Since the Lakers can now cruise into the playoffs, they don’t need Kobe’s regular season heroics as much as they used to.
#7. Dirk Nowitzki
He doesn’t dominate any one category, he doesn’t throw down flashy dunks, and he’s not a triple-double threat, but year in and year out, Dirk finishes the season as a Top 10 fantasy player. His assists dipped below 2.5 for the first time in 7 years, but the rest of his numbers were rock solid across the board. Dirk turns 31 in June, but it looks like he has several more “prime years” left in him. However, if Jason Kidd signs with another team over the summer, you might want to drop Dirk a notch.
#8. Deron Williams
Many expected a breakout season from Deron, but an early season ankle injury derailed him, as he played just 5 games and shot 38.5% from the field in November. He did average 21.2 points and 11.1 dimes from January on, but his outside shooting plummeted from 39.5% 3P in ‘07-08 to just 31% 3P in ‘08-09. Of course, the big question in Utah is what is going to happen over the summer, as Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and Paul Millsap will all be looking for new contracts. It seems almost a certainty that Millsap will replace Boozer, which could either help or hurt Deron’s statistics.
#9. Dwight Howard
Howard’s ‘08-09 stats were virtually identical to the season prior, exept for two key categories. His FG% dropped from 59.9% to 57.2%, but the main reason for that was his poor December, in which he made just 48.7% of his shots. Of course, the area where he made HUGE strides was on defense, as he rejected a career-high 2.92 shots per game en route to winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award. Yes, his free throw shooting is still killer, but his dominance in boards and blocks is too great to ignore. As long as you’re ready to punt FT%, he’s the #1 center out there.
#10. Amare Stoudemire
Amare owners can only wonder what COULD have been. After having his style severely cramped by Terry Porter and Shaq for the first 51 games, Stoudemire finally got his wish when Porter was replaced by Alvin Gentry over the All-Star break. In his first game under Gentry, Amare dropped 23 points in just 20 minutes. The very next day, he exploded for 42 points and 11 boards on 15-20 shooting. Granted, both games were against the lowly Clippers, but it looked like STAT was ready for a monster second half. And then his season abruptly ended thanks to a partially torn iris. If he gets used to wearing goggles every night, he could come back with a vengeance next season.
#11. Yao Ming
It was an interesting year for Yao, as he attempted fewer shots and scored less, but saw his FG% soar to 54.8% FG and his free throw shooting climb to 86.6%. He also stayed relatively healthy, playing in 77 games, and he put up much better stats after T-Mac went down for good. The big question is, can he repeat that success while scoring more points? In my opinion, whether or not Ron Artest re-signs and whether or not Yao finally rests over the summer will play a big part in that.
#12. Chris Bosh
Toronto is another situation that bares watching, as Shawn Marion is a free agent this summer and Bosh might receive a contract extension (which I don’t think he’ll accept). The addition of Marion actually improved Bosh’s stats quite a bit, but another reason could be that Toronto was already out of the playoff race and there was no more pressure on CB4. Either way, Bosh is at the point in his career where he needs to take his game to the next level if he wants to be recognized as a true superstar. I’m not so sure it’s going to happen, but he still warrants consideration at the end of round 1.
#13. Al Jefferson
Jefferson continued his improvement in ‘08-09, setting career highs in points, assists, blocks, and FT%. Just two years ago, he was a 68% FT, 1.5 block guy, but this season he shot 73.8% from the line while swatting 1.7 shots. If those numbers continue to rise, he could be a legit 1st rounder next season. However, with Kevin Love being the monster rebounder that he is, don’t be surprised if Big Al’s boards fall.
#14. Pau Gasol
It was a give and take year for Pau, as he upped his boards from 8.4 to 9.6 and shot 56.7% from the field, but saw his blocks plummet to just 1 per game. How could a guy who swatted 2 per game from 2005 to 2007 have such a big decline? Well, Andrew Bynum’s presence played a part, as Pau averaged 1.23 blocks when he was forced to play center, but just .88 blocks when Bynum was in the lineup. While the lack of blocks is discouraging, if Lamar Odom leaves over the summer, that could give the elder Gasol’s value a boost.
#15. Brandon Roy
While his assists declined and his threes and steals didn’t budge, Roy took another leap forward this past season, improving his scoring average to 22.6 while shooting a career-best 48% from the field and getting to the line 6.5 times per game. He’s already a star, but there’s still room for improvement in his stats.
#16. Chauncey Billups
While there are several point guards with more upside (see below), Billups is safest best. Over the past 8 seasons, he’s missed a total of just 34 games (more likely than Harris & Arenas to play in 82 games), and since he’s several years younger than Kidd & Nash, he has a much better chance of duplicating this season’s numbers. In fact, if Carmelo converts more of his shots next season, Billups should improve on his 6.4 assists per game and be even more valuable.
#17. Steve Nash
His offense really suffered under Terry Porter, as he averaged just 13.8 points and 1.4 threes on 46.8% FG shooting before the All-Star break. However, after the coaching change, those numbers rose to 18.7 points and 1.6 threes on an impressive 54.8% FG shooting. His minutes will continue to decline and he’s no longer a 1st round pick, but he still has plenty left in the tank.
#18. Devin Harris
As expected, Harris erupted in his 5th season, easily setting career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and free throws attempted. One area that declined was his 3-point shooting as he made just .9 per game on 29% 3P shooting. However, if he can bump those numbers up a bit, watch out! As Brook Lopez continues to develop, that should also help out Devin’s stats, but don’t take him TOO early, because the way he fearlessly attacks the basket makes him a major injury risk.
#19. Gilbert Arenas
If there’s one player who deserves special attention over the summer, it’s Gilbert Arenas. With just 15 games played in his last 2 seasons, we really don’t know how he’s going to look. Washington’s decision to hire Flip Saunders is a step in the right direction, as Flip has plenty of experience coaching talented point guards who know how to score (Billups, Sam Cassell, Terrell Brandon, Stephon Marbury). Right now, pick #19 sounds about right, but if he shows positive signs over the summer, he could easily move into the Top 15.
#20. Jose Calderon
Calderon got off to a slow start in ‘08-09, shooting just 44.5% FG in his first 14 games. However, he made 51.1% of his shots from the field after that, and made a ridiculous 151 of 154 free throws. Overall, it was a solid but unspectacular year, but since he’s 9 years younger than Kidd, I have him ranked one spot higher.
#21. Jason Kidd
For a guy playing in his 15th NBA season, Kidd put up some remarkable numbers and continues to be a triple-double threat. However, his minutes and steals are bound to decline, and his meager 1.3 free throw attempts per game means that his solid 82% FT shooting doesn’t help as much as you think. The future Hall of Famer is an unrestricted free agent this summer, so it will be interesting to see where he lands.
#22. Kevin Martin
(Grabs a Magic 8-Ball) Will Kev-Mart ever play a full 82 game season? Outlook not so good. After missing a combined 52 games the past 2 seasons, the frail shooting guard has become a very high-risk player. One area where Sacramento’s lack of talent and experience was visible was in Martin’s 2-point shooting (his 41.5% from beyond the arc was a career-high). After making a solid 51.5% of his 2-point shots in ‘06-07, that number plummeted to just 42.3% in ‘08-09. Expect that number to rebound a bit, and don’t forget that his 9 made free throws per game EASILY led the league (Wade was 2nd at 7.5).
#23. Caron Butler
Using per game stats, Butler was a Top 12 player this past season. Unfortunately, he missed 15 games, and one has to wonder if he’ll EVER play 80+ games in a season. If Arenas is healthy, Caron’s points and assists will likely decline, but his FG% and 3P% should receive a healthy boost to make up for it. He’s still in his prime, but he owes us a healthy season or two.
#24. Andre Iguodala
On paper, Iguodala’s ‘08-09 season was much worse than the year before, as his points, threes, 3P%, steals, and blocks all declined. However, he shot a rock solid 48.8% from the field after November, and hopefully the Elton Brand experiment will go a little smoother the next time around. For Iggy, the X-factor is his free throw shooting. After making 82% of his freebies in ‘06-07, he’s shot just 72% from the line in each of the past 2 seasons. He’s becoming a better player every year, and if he can shoot 80% FT again, he’ll be a Top 20 player.
#25. Carmelo Anthony
From a fantasy perspective, Carmelo’s ‘08-09 season was very disappointing. He missed 16 games, his scoring average dipped to its lowest mark in 4 years, and he saw his FG% plummet from 49.2% to 44.3%. On the bright side, he became a better defensive player, he shot a career-best 37.1% from beyond the arc, and a lingering elbow injury clearly effected his play. He turns 25 in May, so his best days are still ahead of him. Of course, with JR Smith around, the chances of Melo attempting 22 shots per game again seem slim.
On the Bubble
Jameer Nelson
Jameer was having a spectacular season before getting hurt. It seems unlikely that he’ll shoot over 45% from beyond the arc again, but he could easily improve on his 5.4 assists per game, especially if Hedo Turkoglu bolts over the summer. It seems risky to use a Top 25 pick on him, but he could deliver that kind of value.
Rashard Lewis
Lewis is another guy who could benefit from the possible departure of Turkoglu. He’s had several Top 25 fantasy seasons in the past, and it’s hard to complain about 2.8 treys per game, but I’d like to see him go in the paint more often to improve his FG% and rebounding numbers.
Gerald Wallace
His points, assists, and steals were way down last season, but Wallace showed major improvements by pulling down a career-high 7.8 rebounds and shooting a career-best 80.4% from the line on 6.4 attempts per game. The guy had been a sub-70% FT shooter for most of his career, so it’s hard to trust that he can duplicate that, but if he can, and STAY HEALTHY, he could be a top stat performer.
Monta Ellis
While he’d rather forget about this past season, Monta did show flashes of his old self. The guy was an absolute stud in ‘07-08, and if his ankle continues to improve and he can handle the transition to point guard, he should have a bounceback season.
Rajon Rondo
Even if KG returns 100% healthy next season (unlikely), it’s quite clear that Rajon is well on his way to becoming Boston’s leader and #1 fantasy player. In addition to the excellent steal and assist numbers, his points are destined to soar next year. Of course the ugly FT% is still a concern, but if he can make over 70% of his freebies, he has a shot at becoming a Top 25 fantasy player.
No related posts.
I’m liking it, E. Nice work. It looks to me like no matter how you look at the stats that Chris Paul comes out ahead of LeBron James so I think again CP3 has to be the #1 pick even though drafting LeBron or Wade seems more exciting. I completely agree with the Durant-Granger-Kobe-Dirk rankings, too.
Arenas at #19 is interesting, I hadn’t even begun thinking about where I’d draft him and for me considering he has sat out pretty much two straight seasons I might just let him be someone else’s concern next year. However, the upside is absolutely there as he was in the mix top 5 not too long ago, so yeah, at pick 19 if he can get back to the level he was at from 2005-2007 you’d be well on your way to winning your league if you had him.
Where is Troy Murphy? I know, at the end of the day he’s still Troy Murphy, but he actually put up those stats for an entire season and they weren’t just borderline top-25 stats they were hovering around top-10 overall stats. Looking at the final stats from last year I don’t know WTF to do with Jameer or Murphy. I don’t want to draft either of them very high but their stats warrant it, so I’ll be excited when you release those detailed statistical projections you said you were going to do in another post so I can put this past season in perspective
Murphy was badass this year, but anyone who uses a Top 25 pick on him next year is not going to win their league. You win leagues by taking him in the 10th round when he has his career year, which as you know is what I recommended numerous times before the season started.
Unlike Jameer’s potential improvement in assists, I don’t think that Murphy has much room for his stats to get better.
Looks great.
No Elton Brand. Last seasons top 20 ranking was horrible. Glad I didn’t own him on any team. Iggy’s value is directly related to Brand
Top 10 is solid. During my auction league last season. Another owner and myself pushed Danny Grangers price tag into the top 8. Mostly everyone else was clowning the high salary. Claiming he was undeserving. I ended up losing the bid. But made sure he paid a more than hefty preseason price. Which technically was his end of the year value.
Al Jeff is a bit high considering his injury. But I love his game. Not sure if I can take the gamble in my 14 team league.
Gasol(I love my Lakers)…without odom will continue to be a beast. The key to gasols ranking remaining high are his blks and ft%. He does everything a big is asked to. 78 ft% for the season is strong at 5.5 attempts. Others have said this is too low especially at his high attempts. Screw you and screw that. On any weekly basis, Gasol can easily shoot in the 80’s. Incredible for a big man. Me and another forum member discussed Brooke Lopez or Pau Gasol. Who would you want? It better not be a girls name.
Not a fan of Carmelo. No way I am taking him in the top 2 rounds. I wanted to warm up to him. But I regress.
Caron is a favorite of mine. 3 straight seasons with a substantial injury is worrisome.
Arenas at a cheap price is a go for me. Easy 3rd round pick for myseelf. 2nd round equates to weak value considering injury.
Calderon season ending ranking 27. And last month ranking of 13 is encouraging. But I don’t think I can draft him. Maybe his game is so solid but boring. I am turned off. Could be a bad move on my part.
Jameer was a beast last season. I need to talk to my Physical Therapy buddy and get more details about rehab for a torn labrum.
Crash Wallace game sparked when Diaw and Raja joined the teams. Especially down the stretch. Dont forget about Felton. He put up incrdible numbers to end the year to. Looks like the light bulb is on in his head.
Well…there are some quick thoughts.
Is it just me…or are most the top players in the league injury concerns?
I hear ya on Calderon. Not the most exciting player to own by any means. But he played hurt for awhile and finished strong as you said.
I really don’t like the way Carmelo plays or his demeanor/attitude, but you have to factor in his youth and upside. Not only does he have Top 25 potential, but he has Top 12 potential if he can ever put it all together.
Jamison has been rock solid in recent years and I considered him for this list, but his stats are bound to decline for several seasons.
-The return of Arenas means fewer shots and fewer points.
-Theoretically, the return of Haywood means fewer rebounds. Oddly enough, Jamo grabbed more boards 2 years ago when Brendan was healthy. But still.
-Blatche and McGee have too much upside to leave them riding the pine. There will be fewer frontcourt minutes due to Haywods return, which means Antawn is more likely to play 36 minutes as opposed to 38+.
“Is it just me…or are most the top players in the league injury concerns?”
This is worth investigating…
In ‘08-09, only 30 guys played all 82 games and 67 played 80+.
In ‘07-08, 43 guys played all 82 games and 73 played 80+.
In ‘06-07, 36 guys played all 82 games and 71 played 80+.
So the recent 3 year average is 36.3 guys playing 82 games and 70.3 guys playing 80 or more.
Now let’s look at the last 3 years of the past decade (skipping the ‘98-99 season because it was the strike-shortened 50 game season).
In ‘97-98, 51 guys played all 82 games and 90 played 80+.
In ‘96-97, 47 guys played all 82 games and 85 played 80+.
In ‘95-96, 44 guys played all 82 games and 84 played 80+.
So the 3 year average from a decade ago was 47.3 guys playing 82 games and 86.3 guys playing 80 or more.
This is for the entire league, but I imagine it also applies to the “top players.” So clearly, guys used to be tougher than they are today.
In defense of today’s players, they don’t get nearly as much time off over the summer to let their bodies recover since they’re playing in all these international competitions.
But on the flipside, treatment of injuries is much more advanced today than it was 10-20 years ago. So yeah, guys used to be tougher back in the day.
Thad Young…is he the real deal?
Chris Anderson…Camby 2.0?
Jamison belongs in the top 25 ahead of Melo.
Yo Rocks –
You still think Jamison should be picked before Melo after watching Anthony play on Monday?
41 points, 15-29 FG, 9-11 FT, 11 boards, 3 ast, 5 steals, 2 treys
That kind of stat potential is why he’s a better pick then Jamo, regardless of what both players did this past season.
Why are you being stingy with Thad Young and Anderson?
Need to keep some info for the Evil Draft Kit.
Damn…quick research. I know you didn’t get your stats from ESPN splits. haha.
What about Tony Parker? San Antonio becomes his team next year…we could see another scoring jump to go with nice percentages and solid enough assists. Seems a lot like Devin Harris to me, and he was #18.
I think you’ll see Rose go top 25-30 in a lot of leagues too, especially after his performance against the Celtics.
TP not shooting the 3 kills his ranking. Keyword ranking. Although he is a great overall pg. Solid %’s, better assists, stls. He fullfills all but 1 major fantasy cat. 3’s, stl’s, blks factor highly when calculating rank.
Take some time and evaluates the trends between all the top players.
Rose fits directly into the Tony Parker mold.
Yeah, the Rose and Parker comparison is a good one, especially from a fantasy standpoint. Their lack of threes really hurts, and neither is great at getting steals. Rose averaged just .8 steals as a rookie, and Parker’s career average is exactly at 1 per game. Nothing special.
Harris has a worse FG%, but he’s much better than those two when it comes to threes and steals. So that’s why Devin’s in my top 25, and the other two aren’t.
what? no. Th only real similiarity between D. RO. and park is they both are speedy pg’s that can penetrate the paint at will. Rose is by far a stronger, better athlete, and has a better Jumper than parker did at this stage of his career. I hear it’s improved tremendously, and with the loss of ben gordon you have to assume his scoring will go up to around 19-20 ppg. with maybe 6-7 assts, 3-4 rebs, 1 stl. I definitely think this kid is on his way to superstardom. Don’t get me wrong Parker is a great pg, but I just don’t think the pros outweigh the cons in comparing him to Rose. Rose is a crossbreed. porr man’s D.Wade/Parker maybe.
I don’t think very many people are going to tell you that Rose isn’t a great young PG and if I were building a team to win NBA basketball games he’d be near the top of my list of guards I’d want. Statistically for fantasy purposes, though, he is not elite unless he gets more steals or starts making threes or preferably both. The strength and athleticism are great and it’ll help the Bulls win games, but it won’t necessarily translate into the fantasy game. He could end up top 50 this year, but there is no way I’d take him in a fantasy league over guys like Billups, Harris, Calderon, Rondo, Kidd, Nash, etc.; all guys who contribute in more fantasy categories than Rose. I think that when you look at fantasy stats the Parker comparison is a great one.
Great list! These are for standard 8-cat roto, I assume?
How’s about posting some stats so those of us who aren’t playing in only 8-cat roto leagues can convert to our scoring system???
What kind of stats would you convert? You mean projections for next season? Way too early to do that man. I won’t start projecting stats until after the NBA Draft.
What about the original AI? He was in the top 25 ten years in a row until last year.
Iverson? I DARE someone to use a Top 25 pick on the guy next season. The way he chumped out this season was garbage. How many teams are going to want the guy now knowing that his skills are declining but he still won’t accept a bench role (or even being a #3 option)? Not many.
Does Rudy Gay deserve top 25 consideration?
Brook Lopez will be top 25 next year. He will get tons of blocks and rebounds, and will have the best percentages in the league. Not to mention he contributes in assists and steals too.
“Not to mention he contributes in assists and steals too.”
Care to expand on that? Brook averaged just 1.1 assists and .5 steals as a starter. Even for a center, that’s below average.
What about JUICE? What was OJ’s overall ranking this past year? His #’s are going up across the board next season. That’s for sure.
RE: Gay & Mayo.
It really depends on how much better you guys think Memphis is going to be next year. They finished dead LAST in scoring this past season, which obviously hurt their stats. They were a little better after the coaching change, and obviously their team will improve, but the question is by how much.
Too early to say for me.
I have to pick 2 keepers I have Durant, Granger and D. Will, thinking about Durant and D. Will. What do you think?
Wow, that’s a killer decision Fish. Ideally, you’d be able to trade one of them for a draft pick or something.
If you’re in a Roto league, I would go with Durant + Deron since you get fantastic balance with those two. If you’re in a H2H league tho, I would consider Durant + Granger. Either way, you should have a nice advantage.
In a 2 player keeper league, I think you have to keep Durant and Granger. Granger has been the #1 ranked fantasy player for months at a time. Playing in Jim O’Brien’s uptempo system, he’ll have every opportunity to finish next season in the top 5 overall. Most will agree that the same cannot be said for Williams (top 10 maybe for Deron). If you keep 3-5 players, then you can certainly look to balance or round out your team; however, with only 2, you must keep your best overall players.
Another keeper question. I am keeping Durant and have only one other to choose from, in an 11-team league (8 cat roto):
Monta Ellis as a 5th round pick
Arenas as a 6th round pick
B. Lopez as a 7th round pick.
I appreciate seeing Arenas above as 19 and have been thinking that is the way to go but would welcome other thoughts.
I think you need to go with Brook Lopez. In almost every format, he was a top 10 C as a rookie. 15pt, 10rb, 2blk, and great FG% & FT%(which is a huge plus from a C) are very realistic stats for next season.
It’s 50/50 if Arenas will ever be the player that he was pre-knee injuries. How did things work out for explosive players like Penny Hardaway and T-Mac when they tried to come back from multiple major injuries? Why even take the risk with Arenas. I guarantee that if you threw both players back into the pool that Lopez would be drafted over Arenas in a keeper format. Don’t over think this, go with the durable rookie C.
I agree that keeping Lopez makes the most sense since you’d only have to give up your 7th round pick.
I would like to respectfully disagree with LJP and Evil…
Of course I understand all the risks that come with Arenas but I don’t know how losing a 6th round pick for getting potentially a top 15 player can be less attractive than losing a 7th round pick and getting potentially let say a top 50 guy?!?!… 6th or 7th round is almost the same thing… in keeping Lopez you are simply saying that if the draft is today you will draft Lopez ahead of Arenas?!?!… if that is the case of course you should keep Lopez…
I tend to agree here, Damian. That’s why seeing Evil’s ranking of Arenas at 19 was so interesting. The top-15 potential for a sixth rounder seems like just the kind of move that wins you your league.
One other question – any concerns about a sophomore slump for Lopez?
Galactic – There are elements here that you haven’t told us, such as:
1) When you have to submit your keepers.
2) How many years in a row you can keep said players.
3) How many centers you start.
If the answer to #1 is sooner rather than later, then that’s another reason to go with Lopez. My Top 20 rankings for Arenas is based on the assumption that he’s going to show us that his knee has improved over the summer. If you don’t get the chance to see this because your keepers are due, then keeping Gil is way too risky IMO.
If the answer to #2 is more than 3 years, then that’s another reason to go with Lopez. He just turned 21, and he’s only going to get better. Dude shot over 58% FG after Feb. 1st. The only reason he’d have a sophomore slump is if Harris or Carter has a season-ending injury, allowing teams to constantly double him. Arenas is still 27, but his explosiveness is key, and he’s going to start losing that soon.
If the answer to #3 is 2, then that’s another reason to go with the Stanford twin. Dependable fantasy centers are rare, especially ones as young and talented as Brook.
Another thing to consider is that the Wizards could very easily take Ricky Rubio in the upcoming draft. If they do, that tells you how they feel about Arenas, and it should make the decision for you.
If you have time to choose your keepers, then yes, wait to see if Gil can prove himself. But if you have to pick by the end of the month, then it’s a no-brainer for me.
I agree with everything Evil E said in his reply. It’s not 2006 anymore – there’s a very strong possibility that Arenas will never again be the player that he was 3 years ago. He has had back-to-back lost seasons in dealing with his knee injuries. Why on earth would you keep a past his prime PG with major knee issues over a 21 year old improving stud C?
I do agree that the difference between giving up the 6th or 7th pick is negligible. Lopez is much better than top 50 though. In a new keeper league, he would be most likely be drafted in the top 25.
Different people… different opinions… I agree with Evil’s 2nd and 3rd reasonings… However if the draft is today I will draft Arenas at least a round or maybe even 2 ahead of Lopez… So that will make the choice difficult… and I think I will go with Gil (at the end of the day he is still 27 and point guards are useful too…)
Evil – Great points 1-3. Thanks for the feedback. I have until next fall to decide keepers, so plenty of time (hopefully) to evaluate Arenas’ health and potential Rubio pick. Our keepers move up 4 draft rounds each year. So this year Durant is my first rounder but I won’t be able to keep him next year. I could keep either Arenas or Lopez another year beyond next but they’d then be 2nd or 3rd rounder, respectively. We play 2 centers. Draft order is a bit funky and we’re trying more of a lottery system this year so I expect to pick near the end of round 1, as your comment suggests, so the difference between a 6th and a 7th could be close to 20 spots.
So seems like Lopez is the way to go. Damn, that’s so boring.
How in the world can you guys say that there’s no difference between a 6th round and 7th round pick?
Since I’m used to finishing in the top half of my league, and I think that most of my readers are as well, let’s say that Galactic finished in 3rd place this past year. Assuming that his draft order is determined by the order of finish, and that they do a regular snake draft, this would mean that:
His 6th round pick would be #58 overall.
His 7th round pick would be #75 overall.
That’s a BIG difference if you ask me. So in this scenario, the question is: Would you rather have Arenas and the #75 pick or Lopez and the #58 pick? I’ll take the latter.
It is kind of early for next year rankings but as I mentioned today I would put Arenas 15-20 positions ahead of Lopez… so if it is Arenas and 77th or Lopez and the 56th I may start thinking
In my humble opinion it all depends how risky you want to go… obviously Arenas is the high risk high reward guy… if you are risk averse you should most probably go with Lopez… How I saw this was mainly what I am losing and while I won’t lose a 2nd or 3rd round pick for Arenas I am kind of willing to lose a 5th round
Enough about certain obvious keeper league questions and onto your rankings:
Howard, Arenas, & KevMartin are way too high. Maybe Howard is OK if you play HtH and plan to punt FT% and get hurt by your C in TO. Otherwise, Dwight simply is not even a top 30 player in roto.
Arenas is way too big of an unknown and risk at this point to be ranked in the top 20. I know you preface this ranking based on how he looks over the summer but still, let someone else waste one of their top 3 picks on him.
Martin doesn’t help you in enough categories to be ranked this high. His FG% has plummeted from 2 seasons ago and he’s a big injury risk. Is the #22 based on his one dominant stat – FT%? Seems too high to me.
Carmelo at #25. Picking him this high has to work out one of these years, right?….
Also, I think you need to move Jameer Nelson off the bubble. The guy did not produce when he had back-up PG’s eating into his minutes. Now he will have to deal with Alston, who is an improvement over Dooling and Arroyo, who last ate into Nelson’s minutes and stats last season. I really think he goes back to ranking closer to 100 than 25.
Overall though, nice job with the very early rankings and thanks for the off-season content.
LJP – You seem to place a large emphasis on the recent past, while I’m always trying to predict the future.
Do you seriously think that the only reason Jameer Nelson’s stats were better this season were because Dooling & Arroyo were no longer in town and Nelson simply got more minutes? I think Nelson took a step forward this season because he spent countless hours improving his outside shot, and that finally paid off and he broke thru in his 5th NBA season at the age of 26 (when many players start entering their primes). Even with Rafer around, Jameer will still play 30+ minutes per game.
Yes, Kev-Mart is a huge injury risk, but if he can stay healthy, he’s going to be a super pick because people like you think he’s a 1-dimensional player to avoid. Sure, his 42% FG shooting this past season was terrible, but so was his team. The Kings were young and awful, and that’s reflected in his stats. But guys like Hawes and Thompson will only get better, and as they get better, so will Martin’s FG% and assists. When it happens, he’ll be a well-rounded player.
And I totally disagree with D. Howard not being a Top 30 roto player. The guy can single-handedly carry you in boards and blocks, and if you surround him with the right guys, you can win Roto leagues. It might be a little harder, but still very possible.
I agree with E on Howard. If you play it right he’s just a monster. The winner of our league this year basically rode Howard, Wade, and Ray Allen to the title.
Evil E – believe me, I do not make next year’s picks based on last year’s stats. Besides the obvious star players, it’s all about ability + opportunity.
I will admit that I am probably off in my Nelson assessment. His minutes were only up by about 3 min per game this year. I thought he was getting somewhere in range of 6-8 more min a game this year (which would normally lead to significant overall stat increases). His FG% was up and his 3pt made was also up significantly. He was definitely having a better year than I thought and his stats for next season should be more in line with this year (especially if Hedo leaves).
As for Kev Mart, of course I know he provides more than just FT%. The scoring and 3pt are nice but those are stats that you can easily pick up late in the draft (hello Brandon Rush in round 10). The FG% has been trending down and the TO’s have been trending up. Add in the injury factor and his #22 ranking is just too high for me. If you can get him in the 4th or 5th round, then it’s probably worth the gamble. I will let someone else risk their 2nd or early 3rd round pick on him.
I disagree with you on Howard. The “build around him” argument is lame because you can just as easily build around any other top 20 player. His horrible FT% is the most harmful stat in all of roto. If you don’t want to land a 1 or 2 in FT%, it basically requires you to take Kev Mart and then at least another guy like Calderon (and even then your team FT% will most likely be in the .725-.750 range). It’s not a good thing when your 1st or 2nd round pick requires you to reach or feel forced to take certain players that early in the draft because of your top pick’s major deficiencies. Yes, the boards and blocks are great but you can easily get other C’s and F’s in the early and middle rounds that contribute big in those stats that don’t kill you in FT%. The bottom line is that Howard does not guarantee that you win boards and blocks in roto but he almost certainly guarantees that you are going to lose FT%. Why start out the draft in a hole?
Well, when you say that Martin’s “FG% has been trending down and the TO’s have been trending up,” that makes it sound like you’re assuming these “trends” will continue. I don’t view them as trends, and I already gave one reason why.
As for drafting D. Howard in Roto leagues, I agree that it’s not exactly the smartest move to make. His terrible FT shooting makes it more of a challenge to win, but some people are willing to take that challenge, because A) it’s fun to prove people like you wrong, and B) it’s fun to own a guy who can drop 30 points, 20 boards, and 7 blocks on any given night.
As for your suggestions that “you can just as easily build around any other top 20 player” and “Howard does not guarantee that you win boards and blocks in roto,” well, I disagree. We’re talking about a guy who had 15% more rebounds than the #2 man and 27% more boards than the #3 man, not to mention 32% more blocks than the #2 man and 38% more blocks than the #3 man.
Quite frankly, if you drafted the Man-Beast and your Roto team didn’t finish 1st in boards and blocks, then you did something wrong. The only other player who can dominate 2 cats like that is CP3, the #1 fantasy player the past 2 years.
The way I see it, Dwight Howard in Roto is kind of like the Queen of Spades in Hearts. In most cases, the person who has him is going to get screwed. But if you play your cards right, you can SHOOT THE MOON!
Galactic – Based on the new info, IF Arenas shows signs of improvement over the summer, and IF the Wiz don’t land Rubio, then maybe you should keep Arenas and Lopez and let Durant go.
It’s gotta be tough saying bye to KD, but if you have to give up your 1st round pick to keep him, you’re not exactly getting a bargain deal. Whereas if you go with the Arenas/Brook combo, you get to keep all of your top 5 draft picks. Durant is badass no doubt, but stud swingman will likely be easier to find than stud PG’s and C’s. But yeah, plenty of time to think about it…
Evil – you could be spot on again, I hadn’t even considered letting KD go (man-crush and all that). He presents basically a marginal bargain, where I might be able to get him with the 10th or 11th overall pick since I’ll certainly be shut out of the top 5 picks otherwise and might be able to land the turn picks at the end of the round. It seems to me that Lebron, Paul, Wade and possibly Durant next year (and assuming Wade stays healthy) would be significantly better than the rest of the first rounders, making it worthwhile to keep KD. I’ll spend some time evaluating this leading up to the season. Thanks for the advice.
Another question – in general, how do you like picking at the turn in a snake draft as opposed to somewhere in the middle. Any pros or cons to either?
I just recently discovered your site but I am really enjoying and appreciated your work and the comments in general. Very nice job.
*appreciating
Thanks man. How’d you find the site?
That’s a good question about where to pick. I don’t really like the end picks because there’s so much downtime in between picks. After you pick, you can’t really start targeting who to take next, because so many players will be picked before you get to go again. You can lose focus that way.
I really like picking near the turn if the guys after me are suckers. For example, if I have the #10 pick and I think the guys picking #11 and #12 are chumps, then I LOVE it. That way, let’s say there are 2 players who I think are clearly the top guys left, but one of them is more of a sleeper. If there’s a quality owner at #11, I’d have to worry about him snagging the sleeper. But if there are suckers after me, then I can just take the more “popular” player, and then the sleeper pick will most likely fall in my lap. So in this scenario, it’s nice being near the turn.
Otherwise, I’d rather be somewhere in the middle. You don’t have to worry about making 2 picks at once, and since there’s little downtime compared to other slots, you keep your focus. Of course, if someone offers me the #1 pick, I won’t pass it up.
Aaahhh, to be drafting near suckers.
I found the site either thru a link on True Hoop on ESPN.com or on Ball Don’t Lie (their daily 10-man rotation spot) on Yahoo.
With the new information I also think you should pick Arenas and Lopez… they both should be considered better than 6th and 7th round respectively… It wouldn’t be cool to pick Durant and have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice and not be able to pick one of the consensus studs… of course you have a lot of time during the summer but when you add the fact that you can keep Durant for only one year I think Evil’s suggestion makes A LOT of sense…
Good work all season long!
I have another question about my keeper league – 9 cat, keep 7, $260 cap.
This summer, LeBron, Wade, Dirk, Joe Johnson, Nash, Parker, Bosh are all free agents. So of course i’m trying to have a ton of money going in.
I have 4 spots left of my keepers and i’m not sure who to keep.
Kidd $9 (depends on where he ends up)
Okur $4
Jeff Green $1
Anthony Randolph $1
Nate Robinson $1 (only if he stays in NY)
Wilson Chandler $1
Kelenna Azubuike $1
Andrea Bargnani $1
other players i have that have impressed me and are all $1 are Chris Andersen, Glen Davis, Anthony Morrow
Keep up the good work!
Hey, thanks Dexter. You’ve got some nice keeper options there. Who are your top 3 keepers that you didn’t list?
I would say that Bargnani should ABSOLUTELY be one of your 7 guys. After that it’s kind of a toss-up, and a lot depends on what happens over the summer. Hopefully you have some time before you have to submit your picks.
I would lean towards letting Kidd go since you want to save money. Okur at $4 is pretty sweet if Boozer bails. Green vs. Chandler vs. Randoloph is interesting. I’m an Azubuike fan, but he doesn’t have the upside of those other guys. It sounds like Nate Robinson is heading out of New York, but that doesn’t mean you should automatically dismiss him. Wherever he goes, he’s gonna be a fan favorite, which means his new team will almost have to give him 30+ minutes per game.
Since I don’t know who your other keepers are, I’m not sure what the makeup of your squad is. But for now, I definitely suggest keeping Bargnani.
1) Devin Harris $1
2) Yao Ming $14 (even with his injury, if i let him go, i don’t think i’ll be able to get him back for cheaper)
3) Andrew Bynum $10 (the way he’s performing right now, hes no longer a for sure keeper, but his upside is ridiculous)
C’s are valuable, but would it be too much with Yao, Bynum, Bargnani, and Okur? As you can tell, i dominated FT% and BLKS this year.
Is the $1 Devin Harris bid back from his rookie year? How’d you get him so cheap? Anyway, nice job on the bidding! In my opinion, your top 2 keepers are:
$1 Harris
$1 Bargnani
After that, things get cloudy because you have so many nice options. I actually think that a $4 Okur is a safer bet than Yao, and that a $1 Birdman is a safer bet than Bynum. I mean, the prices for Yao and Andrew are still very good, but if you’re looking to save money…
Fantasy bball itch is forcing me to work on my 09-10 rankings.
Kevin Garnett?
Elton Brand?
Iggy’s ranking…seems high. Iggy played terribly with Brand.
Calderon seems high. Other than assists he wasn’t much help. Low impact ft attempts ala Ray Allen.
Yao Ming…Outside my top 24. Alot of my success is directly related to avoiding injury risks. Enter Yao Ming and my 3rd round rating. Why? 3rd round is where I may consider major injury risks, normal 1st and 2nd rounders. Should they be injured with a 3rd round rating. My team will not suffer a lesser crippling affect. Arenas is another fine player I could take in the 3rd round. Depending on availability.
When are we going to see the 25-50? or 25-75?
Honestly, there’s no point in doing extensive rankings right now, because they will fluctuate so much over the next couple months.
Right now, I’ve projected stats for about 40 players whose value won’t really change no matter who their team drafts or signs over the summer. For everyone else, I’m taking a wait and see approach.
I agree with some of your thoughts. Philly is trying to trade Dalembert, and if they did, that would probably help Iggy, because they would play small ball more often.
what about Tony Parker and Tim Duncan you can’t just take them out of this they are easily in the Top 25
TIMVP, I know you’re comment is for evil but Tony Parker isn’t top 50 and Duncan is no longer top 25.
And down goes Yao…
If Odom signs with Miami, you can bump Pau up to the #10 or 11 spot.
Al-Jeff and Arenas are supposed to be recovering nicely, but of course we want to see them in action first.
Will the addition of Marion help or hurt Dirk’s stats? Better yet, could Marion actually slide back into the Top 25 now that he’s running alongside Kidd?
Will the addition of Turkoglu help or hurt Calderon’s stats? I see Jose’s assists falling, but his threes and shooting %’s going up.
With Tyreke Evans now in town, do you feel safer about drafting Kev-Mart in the top 25?
Have any new players moved into the Top 25 due to this summer’s moves?
E – would you consider releasing the stat projections you have already completed to customers who pre-pay for the upcoming draft guide?
If Boozer is traded, Millsap is borderline top 25….I’d probably take him over Melo at least.
I don’t see how Crash is on the bubble. IF you believe his FT shooting correction is legit (notably he shot 80+ 4 of his last 5 months last year), then he’s top 15-20. If he gets his assists up to 07/08 levels, he’s an 8 category producer. You can take Devin’s toxic FG% and I’ll take Crash. Frankly, I’m not sure I’d take Devin over S-Jax (except that Devin has quite a bit more perceived value and could land me more in a trade).
“Millsap is borderline top 25″
I disagree. I like Millsap, he should improve but would have to improve drastically to be top 25.
Last year he average 29.9 minutes a game. Even if Boozer leaves he is only getting another 6 minutes, tops. In those 29.9 minutes he averaged 13.5 pts 8.6 RBs 1.8 Asts 1.0 stl 1.0 Blks 1.7 TOs shooting 53.4 from the field on 10 shots and 69.9 from the line on 4.3 shots.
As a power forward he is low in points and blocks and also hurts you considerably in FTs.
Jonah – I will consider doing that on a case-by-case basis. If you need stat projections for certain players ASAP because you have an early draft or something like that, then yeah, I’ll try to help you out. Send me an email: info@rotoevil.com
Hunter – Crash is on the bubble because of his nickname. He’s missed at LEAST 10 games every single year he’s played, and I don’t think you should use a Top 10-15 pick on someone who you KNOW will miss 10+ games. Harris is an injury risk in his own right, but I feel a little better about his chances of staying healthy. Also, there’s NO WAY that Stack-Jack is going to repeat his stats from last year now that Monta is healthy and Curry is in the fold.
Hunter & Bucko – I agree with both of you regarding Millsap. IF Boozer gets traded, Millsap has Top 25 potential, but that doesn’t mean you should use a top 25 pick on him. He’s yet to prove that he can play 36+ minutes for an entire 82 game season, so using a 2nd round pick on him would be very risky. However Bucko, you should be looking at his stats from the 38 games that he started, and you’ll see how much better those were. Again, IF Boozer gets traded before the season starts, I could see a statline like the following (here’s your 1st stat projection Jonah):
36 mpg, 17 pts, 10.6 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.2 stl, 1.2 blk, 2.4 tos, 54% FG, 70% FT.
People will focus on his big man stats, but don’t underestimate his ability to A) get steals, and B) drop dimes in Jerry Sloan’s system (Boozer used to average 3 assists and the Mailman once averaged 4.7). But again, I’m not going to use a top 25 pick on the guy…
Everyone else – My apologies for not posting anything in awhile. I’ve been busy moving over the past couple of weeks (now in San Buenaventura), but I’ll put something up before the weekend starts.
PEACE
1. Regarding Crash and his missed games, you’re the one with a love affair for a guy who will probably miss 15-20 games (Martin). If we’re using health as a criteria for the top 25, let’s move Martin out.
2. What E said on looking at Millsap. The starting numbers tell the story, and let’s not underestimate the value of a guy who shoots 54% from the floor. Sure, the FT% stinks, but that’s what separates him from Pau Gasol. 10-15 spots below Gasol accounts for the FT shooting IMO (assuming Boozer is gone).
3. oh, and E, you’re probably right about SJax…but he’ll still be a solid, across-the-board producer.
If I had a “love affair” with Kev-Mart, then I probably would have drafted him in one of my 5 leagues last year, which I didn’t.
Of COURSE a player’s health should be considered, which is why I give every player an “injury rating.” You may have missed it earlier (not sure where I posted it), but I’ve already said that I will place an even BIGGER emphasis on the injury ratings next year.
Kev-Mart’s recent history will really hurt his rating, but remember that he DID play 80 games in ‘06-07 while averaging 35.2 mpg. Meanwhile, Wallace’s NBA careeer is 3 years longer, but he’s never played more than 72. Sure, Martin is rather frail, he appears to have weak ankles and wrists, and he gets banged up a lot when he goes into the lane. But I still think he’s a safer player to own than Wallace, who likes to run, soar, dive and CRASH all over the floor.
Even tho I doubt I’ll use a Top 25 pick on Martin, I still think he can easily be a Top 20 fantasy player. People are going to hate on him because he played just 51 games and shot a weaksauce 42% from the field. That’s fine.
But he could easily play 75 games and shoot 45% FG next season, and in fact, I have no problem betting that Kev-Mart will come closer to 75 GP / 45% FG than Wallace will of reaching 75 GP while repeating his 80% FT. Kev-Mart has had to carry the Kings in recent years, but Tyreke Evans is going to help out A LOT. That’s why I see Martin’s FG% and steals going up.
Does that mean that I love him? NO. Does that mean I’m going to pick him #22 overall? NO. I would much rather play in a league with a bunch of people who will write him off as “injury-prone” and a “FG% killer,” so I can grab him when he falls to me in Round 4.
E – Where do you like Anthony Randolph this year (again, maybe a sneaky opportunity to get an early stat projection)? Thanks, man.
It looks like a Warriors team preview is imminent, so you’ll get some Randolph analysis soon enough. Not sure if I’ll project his stats for that tho.
For those interested, I’m currently doing a slow email style draft right now. It’s a 16-team, 9-cat, H2H keeper league, with 3P% instead of 3’s made.
Here are the Top 6 picks so far:
1- LeBron
2- CP3
3- Durant (my pick)
4- D. Howard
5- Wade
6- Granger
Yeah, I took Durant #3 overall since it’s a keeper league (players are assigned long-term contracts based on their draft position). A couple of suckaz laughed at my pick, but everyone picking after me said they wanted him…
Hey Evil E,
Been checking out the site for a while, though I’ve yet to comment much. Great rankings. It looks to me like you have the right players moving up and the right players moving down. I’m curious what are your feeling on Josh Smith. I don’t remember where you had him last year, but he was pretty widely considered a second round pick. Also, if you’re still looking for people for the email draft, shoot me an email.
Peace.
Thanks Dan, keep the comments coming.
As I just said in another comment, this post is FOUR MONTHS OLD now, so please don’t rely on it too much.
J-Smoov is definitely one of the more interesting players for the upcoming season. He still has Top 10 potential, but since Atlanta kept all of their top players AND brought Crawford into the mix (a shoot-first guard), I don’t see his points going up that much. With Horford in the middle, he’s kinda limited there as well. Of course, his main value comes from his blocks, which declined last season. I’ll have to analyze that at a later date…
wow man. how is Jameer Nelson ranked higher than D. Rose??? Whadda Joke..other than not having Rose even mentioned I’d say it’s fairl accurate
1. These rankings are 5 months old, I doubt Jameer makes his top thirty once he factors in his injury rating.
2. Rose made 0.2 3PG and 0.8 SPG last year. He doesn’t deserve to be going nearly as high as he has been in drafts. He will improve on last year’s numbers, but in many drafts he is going in the top 36 picks, which is crazy. I don’t see him improving much on his steals. He might get 1 a game, I also don’t see him getting more that 1 three a game. Guards that are below average in threes and steals are tough to win with in fantasy.
Compare these two players
Player A:
16.8 PPG 3.9 RPG 6.3 APG 0.8 SPG 0.2 3PG 0.2 BPG 2.5 TOPG 47.5 FG% 78.8 FT%
Player B:
15.1 PPG 4.2 RPG 7.6 APG 1.3 SPG 0.1 3PG 0.0 BPG 2.4 TOPG 44.4 FG% 78.6 FT%
Player A is Derrick Rose
Player B is Ramon Sessions(Stats as a starter)
Rose is going about 60 picks higher on average. My point isn’t that Sessions should be going a lot higher, but that Rose shouldn’t be going in the top 50.
nice, nice, but you got to put devin harris in the mix
wait never mind, did.t see him at 18 srry
any update on when the full top 200 or whatever is going to be out?
Kobe Bryant is the Best Player in NBA Lebron James socks top 100 Rakings
1 Kobe Bryant
2 Dwayne Wade
3 Allen Iverson
4 Ron Arrest
5 Paul Gasol
6 Brandon Roy
7 Derek fisher
8 Oj Mayo
9 MO Willams
10 Girbert Areas
11 Shaquille O’neil
nah top 10 i say goes
1 lebron
2 kobe
3 wade
4 howard
5 paul
6 melo
7 roy
8 garnett
9 duncan
10 amar’e
what about vince carter and josh howard?
vince carter isnt the man he was. hes not as effective anymore. he can still score though dont get me wrong. he just can move like he used to and isnt the star player anymore. And josh howard isnt there because honestly hes not really that good. now that he and caron butler have been traded, dallas actually got a good deal. in fact caron butler is actually a better overall player that josh howard.
why is’ent lebron james at #1 spot?
Wow why is Brandon Roy at 15 he is on the All-Star team. Why is Yao Ming at 11 Brandon Roy should beup the like maybe 10
Wow why is Brandon Roy at 15 he is on the All-Star team. Why is Yao Ming at 11 Brandon Roy should be up there like 10 or higher:P
brandon roy is no. 15 because he hasent technically done that much. I mean hes had some special moments, he did some things but he hasent really been as dominant as he can. And yao is number 11 because hes injured so its not like he can do anything this year.