Team USA and Fantasy Football
One day until my fantasy football draft and it can’t get here soon enough.
Unlike many of my buddies who share my love for football and fantasy, I only play in one football league. Every year it seems I get invited to play in others, but to this point I have turned them down. I’ve gone the multi-league route and it has some good points but in the end what I love most about fantasy is the “gives you something to root for” quality it brings to the season. In multiple leagues it inevitably works out where you have a guy in one league and you play against him in the other and then who to root for just becomes too complicated. I like to keep my sports rooting simple. So the league I run, Boyz Near the Hood (a link to which is at your right) is the only league I do and the draft is tomorrow.
I have the 5th overall pick in a keeper league. Last year I drafted Deuce McAlister in the first round thinking he was going to have a big year and would also make an excellent keeper for this coming year. Then he blew his knee out and took me down for two seasons. I was just over .500 last year when he went down and I went down with him unable to recover as Willis McGahee, my keeper from the year before, demonstrated his allergy to the endzone. The rest of my team was actually pretty decent, but that huge gap at RB and a few more bad breaks and I missed the playoffs.
Adding insult to injury, Deuce’s injury and Houston’s stupidity in passing on Bush made Deuce a shaky keeper for this year at best which essentially left me without a running back keeper. So, I decided instead on Hassleback and Fitzgerald. I really like both these guys for fantasy, so I can’t complain about that, and there were owners in my league with less desirable choices, but to start out without an RB means that I have to hit paydirt with my first pick.
I will take a running back. Alexander, Tiki, Portis and Larry Johnson are all keepers already giving some other team a monster head start. I couldn’t get the first pick in our draft which I’m sure will be Tomlinson (who I continue to refuse to call LT because there was only one LT). Even if the owner with the first pick completely drops the ball and doesn’t pick Tomlinson, he won’t fall all the way to pick 5. So, there are 4 other guys I want, but there is no guarantee with any of them that they will be number 1 backs and that will be my only back of consequence. Think of it this way, Matt and Fitz are fine keepers unless you think of them as my first two picks in an open draft. Then it is a disaster.
Bottom line, I’m going to have to steal someone in the second or third round to get back to competitive.
Here are some of my observations about this past weekend along with my response to Adam’s last comments to my earlier post about Team USA and Football.
Adam writes, “How are you seeing all these games? I couldn't find tonight's game against Australia anywhere.”
The answer is 5 little letters that greatly improved my sports viewing life: NBA TV. I get the NBA channel and they play all the US games multiple times. Unfortunately for my body’s need for sleep, they also carry a bunch of the other matchups between other countries which, I have seen some of. They are also showing the US games on ESPN 2, but the reality is that you also need Tivo as most of the games have been played at about 3:30am pacific.
Here are my thoughts about Team USA after this weekend.
1. Their half court D seems to be getting much better. I say “seems” to be because I don’t think that Australian team was very good. But the US seems to be doing a lot less improvised trapping on the perimeter which was leaving huge lanes to the hoop complete with flashing run way lights and police escort for mediocre players to look like superstars as they knifed through to the hoop for easy layups. A well executed trapping defense can be suffocating (remember the Runnin Rebels from the early ‘90s?), but even then you risk getting killed if the team can push through the trap. So, when the trapping comes just from another player in the area suddenly double teaming a guy on the perimeter, the team is at a distinct disadvantage if the surprise trap doesn’t immediately end up in a steal.
The US has moved away from that some and more toward just playing solid D on their guy and counting on Brand, Howard and Bosh to be behind them to change or block shots which they have been doing very well. Interestingly, the new approach exposes some of these international teams and their lack of athleticism. If they get open lanes and open shots, they have a chance despite their distinct talent deficit. However, if they have to earn their shots just like the US usually does, then the US gets the value of their more talented roster. One more thing about talent on these rosters. I have seen all the top teams play in this tourney and while Argentina and especially Spain have been as or more dominant than the US to this point, they do not have near the talent on their rosters. Not even close. Not in the same discussion. Pau Gasol is the only guy on either team that could even sniff the starting lineup or even regular minutes on the US team. As we all know (or should) talent doesn’t win on its own, but improved D, means no easy baskets and then you have to rely more on talent and the US has loads of that.
2. I think the US is like Tiger Woods in this tourney. What I mean is that if the US plays up to potential, no other team on their best day will be competitive. That doesn’t make the US a lock to win any more than Tiger is, but it puts things in perspective. That’s why the US has to be the favorite. Right now Spain and Argentina are playing just as well, but only the US can say that if they hit their top gear, no other team can hang with them. I can totally see them getting beat by any team from here on out, but I can also see them blowing any team out by 25. Deep down, the rest of the world knows this.
3. I’m hearing people start to say that Melo might be a better FIBA player than NBA player. I think they’re right. He has a great medium range extended jumper. He has ok deep range, but you don’t need deep range in FIBA, you just need to be able to hit the shot no one in the NBA can make. It is a bit deeper than Rip hits it on the curl, but not as deep as most of the gunners in the NBA. The thing is, this is a bad shot in the NBA and Melo will get hammered by coaches and teammates if he takes it regularly unless he shoots an astonishing percentage. In the NBA, you either take the 3 for its added benefits or you get the ball inside for the higher percentage. Shooting from 20 feet is this no mans land that doesn’t fit in the NBA offense. That said, Melo is playing sweet and I do think it will carry over to a very nice year in the NBA
It raises another question though about what other American players might be better in FIBA than in the NBA. I wish I could spend about 3 hours thinking and researching this question, but I will just have to go off the cuff. First, though it reminds me that Steve Nash would be unstoppable in FIBA. He is money from the range of their 3 pointline and his run around like a crazy man giving everyone open shots would play perfectly here. Paul and Hinrich have lessened my desire to force Nash to become a citizen, but he would still be amazing. I can’t see a way the US would ever lose with him at the point.
Well a healthy Grant Hill would have been great with that same deep mid-range shot and excellent play-making abilities from anywhere on the floor. I think we all forget how good he was. Danny Ainge would have been all-world. But here’s my list of American players that I think could contribute right now in FIBA much better than they do in the NBA:
A. Martel Webster – All J, nothing else, but that’s enough sometimes
B. Mike Dunleavy Jr.
C. Devean George
D. Brad Miller – He’s good in the NBA and not being used much by Coach K, but I think he would be a dominant FIBA player on another team
E. Ben Gordon (technically English, but they’re almost Americans)
F. Mike James
G. Mike Miller
H. Adam Morrison and JJ Redick – I know they hasn’t even played yet, but based on how I project they will do, they’d do it even better in FIBA
Dang it, I feel like I’m forgetting some obvious ones. Let me know who I’m missing. Looking for guys who can stroke it from 20 feet, big guys who can pass and hit a spot up 8 footer consistently, guys who can get in a deadly rhythm if they get a few open looks, defense and athleticism not necessary.
4. I think Melo, Battier and Joe Johnson are the three most important members of this team. Why? Why not Wade or LeBron? Because the way those 3 are shooting the ball means that teams have not, for the most part, even tried to play zone against the US. The US’s biggest weakness is that they don’t have much of a set offense to rely on when the defense is disruptive. To this point, they’ve survived because Paul, Wade, LBJ and others are great at penetrating. However, a zone would make that much tougher and would make it harder to survive without a set offense. But with Melo (or “candypants” as my son calls him. My son speaks some Spanish and upon hearing that his name was Carmelo, he said, “hey, doesn’t that mean candy?” I said, “ummm…I think maybe so”, so then he said, “well, since he thinks he’s fancier than he really is, I’m calling him ‘candypants’ from now on.” Then I wept in pride and had to leave the room), JJ and Battier stroking the ball from 3 so well, teams have been rightly afraid to zone up. No team can stay with the US in man and so, they’ve been cruising.
5. I think Chris Paul may be a keeper. Next year in my fantasy hoops league I thought my keepers were going to be Marion and Brand. Not a bad start. But I also have Paul. Paul is outdoing himself in Japan and I didn’t think it possible for him to get this much better this soon. Would I rather start the year with Marion (arguably a top 8 fantasy player) and possibly the best fantasy pg in the league? Not sure. Brand was awesome last year. Tough call.
6. I think Chris Bosh is redeeming himself. I tagged him for whining which he deserved and dismissed the idea that he had really played all that well in the last game of pool play, but against Australia he had a chance to play with the game still in question and was fairly dominant. I think Jamison just lost his minutes. Bosh’s D, even on the perimeter is a real eye opener. He still fouls too much, looks lost at times on O and looks cranky too regularly, but he is a great defender and finisher. Mr. Bosh, welcome to the team.
7. I think I loved watching the Italians lose. They were talking trash to Wade and Team USA as they played the Americans very tough in pool play. What? Talking trash to Wade? And this team? When you’re freakin Italy? I know the US has struggled in international play, but please. It was nice to see them shown the door.
Now some thoughts on football and some more response to Adam’s comments:
Adam says, the Cowboys may win the NFC and should win 11 games. I hate to say it, but he could be right. The Cowboys look pretty dang good on both sides of the ball. Fortunately, they also have TO. I’m counting on Parcells completely losing it and having to go to rehab and Bledsoe to hit TO with a folding chair on the sideline to derail the season.
The Niners are going to give up a lot of points. I hope their defensive players are in good shape because they are going to get a lot of minutes. Vernon Davis is the real deal. He could play the slot. He might could even play out wide. He’s a freak.
Still not a believer in LJ or the chiefs this year. I know, I know. I’m the only one.
If Carson Palmer looks decent tonight, where does he go in fantasy drafts? I mean, should we not expect similar numbers to last year with similar weapons and another year of experience? At this point, I wouldn’t laugh at anyone taking him in the second round in an open draft….if he looks good tonight.
D’Angelo Williams will be something special and may end up the starting RB in Carolina by the end of the season and a first round pick in next year’s fantasy drafts.
I’m going to want to kill Joe Theisman by week 4. He’s just that bad. I like Tony Kornheiser so far, but Theisman is just awful. I might actually miss Madden.
I think I better get back to work
Watch for my draft recap and season preview for my fantasy league which I will post here whether you want it or not.
One day until my fantasy football draft and it can’t get here soon enough.
Unlike many of my buddies who share my love for football and fantasy, I only play in one football league. Every year it seems I get invited to play in others, but to this point I have turned them down. I’ve gone the multi-league route and it has some good points but in the end what I love most about fantasy is the “gives you something to root for” quality it brings to the season. In multiple leagues it inevitably works out where you have a guy in one league and you play against him in the other and then who to root for just becomes too complicated. I like to keep my sports rooting simple. So the league I run, Boyz Near the Hood (a link to which is at your right) is the only league I do and the draft is tomorrow.
I have the 5th overall pick in a keeper league. Last year I drafted Deuce McAlister in the first round thinking he was going to have a big year and would also make an excellent keeper for this coming year. Then he blew his knee out and took me down for two seasons. I was just over .500 last year when he went down and I went down with him unable to recover as Willis McGahee, my keeper from the year before, demonstrated his allergy to the endzone. The rest of my team was actually pretty decent, but that huge gap at RB and a few more bad breaks and I missed the playoffs.
Adding insult to injury, Deuce’s injury and Houston’s stupidity in passing on Bush made Deuce a shaky keeper for this year at best which essentially left me without a running back keeper. So, I decided instead on Hassleback and Fitzgerald. I really like both these guys for fantasy, so I can’t complain about that, and there were owners in my league with less desirable choices, but to start out without an RB means that I have to hit paydirt with my first pick.
I will take a running back. Alexander, Tiki, Portis and Larry Johnson are all keepers already giving some other team a monster head start. I couldn’t get the first pick in our draft which I’m sure will be Tomlinson (who I continue to refuse to call LT because there was only one LT). Even if the owner with the first pick completely drops the ball and doesn’t pick Tomlinson, he won’t fall all the way to pick 5. So, there are 4 other guys I want, but there is no guarantee with any of them that they will be number 1 backs and that will be my only back of consequence. Think of it this way, Matt and Fitz are fine keepers unless you think of them as my first two picks in an open draft. Then it is a disaster.
Bottom line, I’m going to have to steal someone in the second or third round to get back to competitive.
Here are some of my observations about this past weekend along with my response to Adam’s last comments to my earlier post about Team USA and Football.
Adam writes, “How are you seeing all these games? I couldn't find tonight's game against Australia anywhere.”
The answer is 5 little letters that greatly improved my sports viewing life: NBA TV. I get the NBA channel and they play all the US games multiple times. Unfortunately for my body’s need for sleep, they also carry a bunch of the other matchups between other countries which, I have seen some of. They are also showing the US games on ESPN 2, but the reality is that you also need Tivo as most of the games have been played at about 3:30am pacific.
Here are my thoughts about Team USA after this weekend.
1. Their half court D seems to be getting much better. I say “seems” to be because I don’t think that Australian team was very good. But the US seems to be doing a lot less improvised trapping on the perimeter which was leaving huge lanes to the hoop complete with flashing run way lights and police escort for mediocre players to look like superstars as they knifed through to the hoop for easy layups. A well executed trapping defense can be suffocating (remember the Runnin Rebels from the early ‘90s?), but even then you risk getting killed if the team can push through the trap. So, when the trapping comes just from another player in the area suddenly double teaming a guy on the perimeter, the team is at a distinct disadvantage if the surprise trap doesn’t immediately end up in a steal.
The US has moved away from that some and more toward just playing solid D on their guy and counting on Brand, Howard and Bosh to be behind them to change or block shots which they have been doing very well. Interestingly, the new approach exposes some of these international teams and their lack of athleticism. If they get open lanes and open shots, they have a chance despite their distinct talent deficit. However, if they have to earn their shots just like the US usually does, then the US gets the value of their more talented roster. One more thing about talent on these rosters. I have seen all the top teams play in this tourney and while Argentina and especially Spain have been as or more dominant than the US to this point, they do not have near the talent on their rosters. Not even close. Not in the same discussion. Pau Gasol is the only guy on either team that could even sniff the starting lineup or even regular minutes on the US team. As we all know (or should) talent doesn’t win on its own, but improved D, means no easy baskets and then you have to rely more on talent and the US has loads of that.
2. I think the US is like Tiger Woods in this tourney. What I mean is that if the US plays up to potential, no other team on their best day will be competitive. That doesn’t make the US a lock to win any more than Tiger is, but it puts things in perspective. That’s why the US has to be the favorite. Right now Spain and Argentina are playing just as well, but only the US can say that if they hit their top gear, no other team can hang with them. I can totally see them getting beat by any team from here on out, but I can also see them blowing any team out by 25. Deep down, the rest of the world knows this.
3. I’m hearing people start to say that Melo might be a better FIBA player than NBA player. I think they’re right. He has a great medium range extended jumper. He has ok deep range, but you don’t need deep range in FIBA, you just need to be able to hit the shot no one in the NBA can make. It is a bit deeper than Rip hits it on the curl, but not as deep as most of the gunners in the NBA. The thing is, this is a bad shot in the NBA and Melo will get hammered by coaches and teammates if he takes it regularly unless he shoots an astonishing percentage. In the NBA, you either take the 3 for its added benefits or you get the ball inside for the higher percentage. Shooting from 20 feet is this no mans land that doesn’t fit in the NBA offense. That said, Melo is playing sweet and I do think it will carry over to a very nice year in the NBA
It raises another question though about what other American players might be better in FIBA than in the NBA. I wish I could spend about 3 hours thinking and researching this question, but I will just have to go off the cuff. First, though it reminds me that Steve Nash would be unstoppable in FIBA. He is money from the range of their 3 pointline and his run around like a crazy man giving everyone open shots would play perfectly here. Paul and Hinrich have lessened my desire to force Nash to become a citizen, but he would still be amazing. I can’t see a way the US would ever lose with him at the point.
Well a healthy Grant Hill would have been great with that same deep mid-range shot and excellent play-making abilities from anywhere on the floor. I think we all forget how good he was. Danny Ainge would have been all-world. But here’s my list of American players that I think could contribute right now in FIBA much better than they do in the NBA:
A. Martel Webster – All J, nothing else, but that’s enough sometimes
B. Mike Dunleavy Jr.
C. Devean George
D. Brad Miller – He’s good in the NBA and not being used much by Coach K, but I think he would be a dominant FIBA player on another team
E. Ben Gordon (technically English, but they’re almost Americans)
F. Mike James
G. Mike Miller
H. Adam Morrison and JJ Redick – I know they hasn’t even played yet, but based on how I project they will do, they’d do it even better in FIBA
Dang it, I feel like I’m forgetting some obvious ones. Let me know who I’m missing. Looking for guys who can stroke it from 20 feet, big guys who can pass and hit a spot up 8 footer consistently, guys who can get in a deadly rhythm if they get a few open looks, defense and athleticism not necessary.
4. I think Melo, Battier and Joe Johnson are the three most important members of this team. Why? Why not Wade or LeBron? Because the way those 3 are shooting the ball means that teams have not, for the most part, even tried to play zone against the US. The US’s biggest weakness is that they don’t have much of a set offense to rely on when the defense is disruptive. To this point, they’ve survived because Paul, Wade, LBJ and others are great at penetrating. However, a zone would make that much tougher and would make it harder to survive without a set offense. But with Melo (or “candypants” as my son calls him. My son speaks some Spanish and upon hearing that his name was Carmelo, he said, “hey, doesn’t that mean candy?” I said, “ummm…I think maybe so”, so then he said, “well, since he thinks he’s fancier than he really is, I’m calling him ‘candypants’ from now on.” Then I wept in pride and had to leave the room), JJ and Battier stroking the ball from 3 so well, teams have been rightly afraid to zone up. No team can stay with the US in man and so, they’ve been cruising.
5. I think Chris Paul may be a keeper. Next year in my fantasy hoops league I thought my keepers were going to be Marion and Brand. Not a bad start. But I also have Paul. Paul is outdoing himself in Japan and I didn’t think it possible for him to get this much better this soon. Would I rather start the year with Marion (arguably a top 8 fantasy player) and possibly the best fantasy pg in the league? Not sure. Brand was awesome last year. Tough call.
6. I think Chris Bosh is redeeming himself. I tagged him for whining which he deserved and dismissed the idea that he had really played all that well in the last game of pool play, but against Australia he had a chance to play with the game still in question and was fairly dominant. I think Jamison just lost his minutes. Bosh’s D, even on the perimeter is a real eye opener. He still fouls too much, looks lost at times on O and looks cranky too regularly, but he is a great defender and finisher. Mr. Bosh, welcome to the team.
7. I think I loved watching the Italians lose. They were talking trash to Wade and Team USA as they played the Americans very tough in pool play. What? Talking trash to Wade? And this team? When you’re freakin Italy? I know the US has struggled in international play, but please. It was nice to see them shown the door.
Now some thoughts on football and some more response to Adam’s comments:
Adam says, the Cowboys may win the NFC and should win 11 games. I hate to say it, but he could be right. The Cowboys look pretty dang good on both sides of the ball. Fortunately, they also have TO. I’m counting on Parcells completely losing it and having to go to rehab and Bledsoe to hit TO with a folding chair on the sideline to derail the season.
The Niners are going to give up a lot of points. I hope their defensive players are in good shape because they are going to get a lot of minutes. Vernon Davis is the real deal. He could play the slot. He might could even play out wide. He’s a freak.
Still not a believer in LJ or the chiefs this year. I know, I know. I’m the only one.
If Carson Palmer looks decent tonight, where does he go in fantasy drafts? I mean, should we not expect similar numbers to last year with similar weapons and another year of experience? At this point, I wouldn’t laugh at anyone taking him in the second round in an open draft….if he looks good tonight.
D’Angelo Williams will be something special and may end up the starting RB in Carolina by the end of the season and a first round pick in next year’s fantasy drafts.
I’m going to want to kill Joe Theisman by week 4. He’s just that bad. I like Tony Kornheiser so far, but Theisman is just awful. I might actually miss Madden.
I think I better get back to work
Watch for my draft recap and season preview for my fantasy league which I will post here whether you want it or not.
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