Post by Miege22 on Sept 1, 2014 19:13:18 GMT -5
We have about 3 weeks until free agency, so I figured we could kill that time by taking a look at each division and where things stand.
1. Brooklyn Nets
As always, I don't like talking about my team, so we can move on...
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers make their move to the Eastern Conference, and they have the look of a team that can make some noise come playoff time. They have two surefire fantasy studs in Kevin Love and John Wall. Klay Thompson is in the 2nd tier just below those two. Gallo will join him in that tier provided he is healthy this season. Rodney Stuckey could see significant playing time in Indiana thanks to the absences of Paul George and Lance Stephenson. This team also has proven role players in Iguodala, Varejao, and Mike Miller, and a couple of rooks with a lot of potential (McDermott and McDaniels). The Cavs also have some money to play with, so the right free agent signings could make them very dangerous.
3. Toronto Raptors
I get the sense that Toronto constantly gets underrated because they don't necessarily have the splashy names, but they are always solid. That should change this year as DeMarcus Cousins is a top-20 fantasy player, and Chandler Parson could soon be knocking on that door. Isaiah Thomas proved to be a very good fantasy option, but that could change with his move to Phoenix. Outside of those three, the rest of this team is the definition of solid. Tobias Harris, Brandon Knight, Danny Green, Samuel Dalembert... all these guys are good, not great fantasy options. What separates this team from Cleveland is that several of their players could see slight to significant drops in production due to circumstances beyond their control. Spencer Hawes, Jodie Meeks, Brandon Knight, and Thomas will all have smaller roles. We'll see what happens with Gary Harris and Nik Stauskas, but this team is still capable of making the playoffs.
4. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls could be really good, but it's just too hard to predict at this point in time. Drummond is a rising star, but Noel is a question mark. Terrence Jones and John Henson are solid, young role players, but the shooting guards (Mayo, Rivers, Shved) leave a lot to be desired. Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith are either terrible or underrated, depending on who you talk to. Also, Gerald Wallace is a total black hole. Of course, if Noel is a double-double machine, Josh Smith bounces back, and the young guys improve... maybe the Bulls sneak into the playoffs.
5. Boston Celtics
In this space a year ago, I went out on a limb and predicted the Celtics to the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries derailed that playoff run almost before they started. The Celtics have since traded away Blake Griffin, and despite the realignment, the East is still as tough as ever. There are a couple of nice pieces here. Kemba Walker provides good value. If Eric Gordon gets back to his pre-injury production, he'll be a steal. Dwyane Wade will be more of a focal point this season, but it's more about his health at this point... and that seems to be the case for several players on this team. Carlos Delfino, Amare, Andrew Bogut, Eric Gordon again... if healthy, these guys are solid to really good. But that is a big "if." All is not lost though. Shumpert and Cody Zeller are young guys that should improve, and Miles Plumlee could blossom into a re-sign candidate (or get seriously overpaid next offseason). Maybe I try to find the good in every situation, but there is some good stuff going on here. It may not happen for them this year, but that's why this is a dynasty league.
1. Brooklyn Nets
As always, I don't like talking about my team, so we can move on...
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers make their move to the Eastern Conference, and they have the look of a team that can make some noise come playoff time. They have two surefire fantasy studs in Kevin Love and John Wall. Klay Thompson is in the 2nd tier just below those two. Gallo will join him in that tier provided he is healthy this season. Rodney Stuckey could see significant playing time in Indiana thanks to the absences of Paul George and Lance Stephenson. This team also has proven role players in Iguodala, Varejao, and Mike Miller, and a couple of rooks with a lot of potential (McDermott and McDaniels). The Cavs also have some money to play with, so the right free agent signings could make them very dangerous.
3. Toronto Raptors
I get the sense that Toronto constantly gets underrated because they don't necessarily have the splashy names, but they are always solid. That should change this year as DeMarcus Cousins is a top-20 fantasy player, and Chandler Parson could soon be knocking on that door. Isaiah Thomas proved to be a very good fantasy option, but that could change with his move to Phoenix. Outside of those three, the rest of this team is the definition of solid. Tobias Harris, Brandon Knight, Danny Green, Samuel Dalembert... all these guys are good, not great fantasy options. What separates this team from Cleveland is that several of their players could see slight to significant drops in production due to circumstances beyond their control. Spencer Hawes, Jodie Meeks, Brandon Knight, and Thomas will all have smaller roles. We'll see what happens with Gary Harris and Nik Stauskas, but this team is still capable of making the playoffs.
4. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls could be really good, but it's just too hard to predict at this point in time. Drummond is a rising star, but Noel is a question mark. Terrence Jones and John Henson are solid, young role players, but the shooting guards (Mayo, Rivers, Shved) leave a lot to be desired. Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith are either terrible or underrated, depending on who you talk to. Also, Gerald Wallace is a total black hole. Of course, if Noel is a double-double machine, Josh Smith bounces back, and the young guys improve... maybe the Bulls sneak into the playoffs.
5. Boston Celtics
In this space a year ago, I went out on a limb and predicted the Celtics to the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries derailed that playoff run almost before they started. The Celtics have since traded away Blake Griffin, and despite the realignment, the East is still as tough as ever. There are a couple of nice pieces here. Kemba Walker provides good value. If Eric Gordon gets back to his pre-injury production, he'll be a steal. Dwyane Wade will be more of a focal point this season, but it's more about his health at this point... and that seems to be the case for several players on this team. Carlos Delfino, Amare, Andrew Bogut, Eric Gordon again... if healthy, these guys are solid to really good. But that is a big "if." All is not lost though. Shumpert and Cody Zeller are young guys that should improve, and Miles Plumlee could blossom into a re-sign candidate (or get seriously overpaid next offseason). Maybe I try to find the good in every situation, but there is some good stuff going on here. It may not happen for them this year, but that's why this is a dynasty league.