Post by Miege22 on Sept 29, 2013 20:45:22 GMT -5
1. Brooklyn Nets
I don't want to talk about my own team. Moving on...
2. Boston Celtics
I may be a little bold with this pick, but the Celtics have a team built for regular season contention. Wade, Griffin, and Vasquez is a solid three-man core, and they've got the veteran bench contributors that every playoff team needs. Throw in potential upside guys in Zeller, Muhammed, Shumpert, Henderson, and Lou Will, and there are some things to work with here. The big question is health. Can Wade hold up? Will Delfino and Amare continue to miss chunks of the season? If they can stay healthy, Boston could be in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
3. Washington Wizards
I don't know when Rondo is going to return, but if he can get back on the court by December, the Wizards are a team that could benefit from some real life tanking. Rondo will have to do everything for the Celtics. Ditto for Evan Turner on the 76ers. Raymond Felton, Jeff Teague, Nikola Vucevic, and Tim Duncan (still!) are all high-level fantasy contributors, even if none of them stand out. Robin Lopez, JaVale McGee, Jerryd Bayless, and Randy Foye are all nice specialists. In the end, where this team finishes depends a lot on Rondo's health.
4. Toronto Raptors
It should be noted that the line separating teams 2-4 is very, very thin. It would not surprise me to see any of these three teams finish second and/or make the playoffs. That said, the Raptors are interesting, to say the least. They have two guys in Brandon Jennings and DeMarcus Cousins that don't really live up to the fantasy hype. At the same time, one always gets the sense that those two guys are always just a game away from putting it all together. Omer Asik is almost guaranteed to see a decrease in his numbers. I'm really not sure what to make of Moe Harkless and Tobias Harris, even though I know they played decently in extended minutes in Orlando. Are the Magic committed to those two? Or are they placeholders? I'm skeptical, and that's why the Raps fall below Washington and Boston.
5. Charlotte Hornets
The newly renamed Hornets are building something special in Charlotte. They've got a couple of legit blue-chippers in Brook Lopez and Anthony Davis. They've got a dynamite young wing in Ben McLemore. They've got a potential breakout star in Reggie Jackson, and they've got some solid vet contributors. So why are they this low? Simply put, they are incredibly raw. McLemore, Jackson, and Jeremy Lamb all project to figure prominently in the Hornets' lineup, but none are proven. The bottom line is that there is too much dead weight on this team to jump into the playoffs... but that time is coming.
Discuss.
I don't want to talk about my own team. Moving on...
2. Boston Celtics
I may be a little bold with this pick, but the Celtics have a team built for regular season contention. Wade, Griffin, and Vasquez is a solid three-man core, and they've got the veteran bench contributors that every playoff team needs. Throw in potential upside guys in Zeller, Muhammed, Shumpert, Henderson, and Lou Will, and there are some things to work with here. The big question is health. Can Wade hold up? Will Delfino and Amare continue to miss chunks of the season? If they can stay healthy, Boston could be in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
3. Washington Wizards
I don't know when Rondo is going to return, but if he can get back on the court by December, the Wizards are a team that could benefit from some real life tanking. Rondo will have to do everything for the Celtics. Ditto for Evan Turner on the 76ers. Raymond Felton, Jeff Teague, Nikola Vucevic, and Tim Duncan (still!) are all high-level fantasy contributors, even if none of them stand out. Robin Lopez, JaVale McGee, Jerryd Bayless, and Randy Foye are all nice specialists. In the end, where this team finishes depends a lot on Rondo's health.
4. Toronto Raptors
It should be noted that the line separating teams 2-4 is very, very thin. It would not surprise me to see any of these three teams finish second and/or make the playoffs. That said, the Raptors are interesting, to say the least. They have two guys in Brandon Jennings and DeMarcus Cousins that don't really live up to the fantasy hype. At the same time, one always gets the sense that those two guys are always just a game away from putting it all together. Omer Asik is almost guaranteed to see a decrease in his numbers. I'm really not sure what to make of Moe Harkless and Tobias Harris, even though I know they played decently in extended minutes in Orlando. Are the Magic committed to those two? Or are they placeholders? I'm skeptical, and that's why the Raps fall below Washington and Boston.
5. Charlotte Hornets
The newly renamed Hornets are building something special in Charlotte. They've got a couple of legit blue-chippers in Brook Lopez and Anthony Davis. They've got a dynamite young wing in Ben McLemore. They've got a potential breakout star in Reggie Jackson, and they've got some solid vet contributors. So why are they this low? Simply put, they are incredibly raw. McLemore, Jackson, and Jeremy Lamb all project to figure prominently in the Hornets' lineup, but none are proven. The bottom line is that there is too much dead weight on this team to jump into the playoffs... but that time is coming.
Discuss.