17) thomcat - Chris Paul, Charles Barkley, Buck Williams, Evan Mobley, Jason Terry, Andrew Bynum, D’Angelo Russell
I like the CP3 pick and think this is about as far as Barkley should fall, warts and all. This was too early for Buck in general though, and he’s an especially bad fit for a team with Barkley since they both bring fouls and turnovers, and also ideally would both be playing the 3. Mobley in the fourth is OK but not my favorite, he’s a bit of a tweener with only 28.7% cReb, and just 95% effectiveness at SF.
I don’t think Jason Terry and D’Angelo Russell are especially strong backcourt choices, they bring shooting and a little passing but not much more. There were still a number of guards when you took Terry in particular who I think would have helped your team more, like Derrick White or Mike Conley. On the other hand, I think Bynum is a really strong addition in the sixth.
Your shooting looks nice, and I think you’ll be alright on rebounds though it’s hard to get any less from the guard spots. Overall I have this team in contention for a playoff spot, with turnovers the likely culprit if you aren’t able to punch a ticket.
Favorite pick: Bynum
Questionable pick: Buck
Who I would have taken: John Collins
18) dakjd901 - Luka Doncic, Clint Capela, Alonzo Mourning, Klay Thompson, Gerald Wallace, Deron Williams, Onyeka Okongwu
I’d have taken Kawhi over Doncic, but then had Doncic next on my board, and grabbing Capela in the second brings both value and fit. My feelings on your other picks are a mixed bag; I thought Mourning and Gerald Wallace were great picks, but am more middling on Klay and Okongwu, and really don’t care for Deron even as a limited Luka backup. Some of the guards I mentioned above like White and Conley would have made more sense instead. Or JJJ, as you said, who I like at SF better than Okongwu,
Klay is often overdrafted but it’s hard to be upset about him in the fourth; I’d have preferred one or two other options but Klay does fit in nicely alongside Luka. As does Wallace in the fifth. I guess you were really short on assists after Wallace though, which may help explain Deron, though it’d also have been an option to add more passing in Klay’s spot and avoid the issue altogether.
I’m a fan of enough going on here to have this team as a reasonable favorite to make the playoffs.
Favorite pick: Gerald Wallace
Questionable pick: Deron Williams
Who I would have taken: Mike Conley
19) samuelyork93 - Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Mookie Blaylock, Horace Grant, Kevon Looney, Kyle Anderson, Rudy Gay
These days, I think this is still a little high for Bird. He doesn’t hurt you in many categories but only really excels in a few. With Kawhi on the board, that’s who I’d have taken here. As it is with Bird, I like the Tim Duncan pick, though I would have thought about Capela here as well.
At this point you have so much usage that I’m not mad about taking Mookie in the third, though Penny would have been my pick here. Horace Grant is a fine fourth round pick though I guess it does leave me a little confused about where everyone is playing, which the next picks don’t totally clear up. And as much as you went after usage with your first two picks, this team seems short on shooting when Duncan or Bird sit. I guess that's where Gay comes in - I thought there were better options on the board but it's tough to find his skill set at SG in the sixth.
I think this was a pretty solid draft from start to finish. I like this team to outperform your 34 win pace from last season, but a shortage of quality big men has me thinking this team misses the playoffs.
Favorite pick: Kevon Looney
Questionable pick: Mookie
Who I would have taken: Anfernee Hardaway
20) 24kpyrite - Ben Wallace, Paul George, Elton Brand, Zion Williamson, Enes Kanter, Tyus Jones, Steven Adams
Ben Wallace went 29th, which is right around where I have him. While he is even better in lower cap settings, his skill set is awesome and plays in any league. This also seems right for Paul George, who brings the usage you need at this point. I would consider Wade at this spot as well, but George gives you more perimeter presence and has an EFG which is easier to swallow,
Brand is fine as a third round value but you are leaning pretty hard into so-so shooting at this point. Then poof, Zion and Kanter to help with that. Wallace, PG, and Brand are definitely doing a lot of heavy lifting here defensively but they’re a good enough trio on that front that it shouldn’t be a disaster.
Tyus and Adams are nice niche players to add in the sixth, though I might have leaned a little more into defense after adding Zion and Kanter.
I think this team will be a bit better than your 37 win Duncan/PG squad from last year, and will contend for a playoff spot.
Favorite pick:
Questionable pick: Zion
Who I would have taken: I like Zion, but with John Collins still on the board that’s who I’d have gone with. I have them close and like Zion’s usage and higher minutes, but still have a slight preference for Collins
21) longtallbrad - James Harden, Hassan Whiteside, Ben Simmons, Donyell Marshall, Bob McAdoo, Kris Humphries, Clyde Drexler
In the ODL, I would think this was an amazing spot for Harden. In the 52, my feeling is that the bar for acceptable shooting is raised just enough that Harden takes a hit to value. That said, at 21 I think that’s factored in here, and Whiteside, Marshall, Humphries, and Drexler are all excellent additions to a Harden team. I will say that Humphries is a good player but in the 52 there are several board guys who went undrafted that I like better – it’s close though and the fit here is good.
Ben Simmons, I am not as sure about. If I draft Harden I am keeping a close eye on turnovers for the rest of the draft, and while Whiteside brings enough to the table to merit his middling turnover rate, Ben Simmons is an iffy proposition in the third as it is, but seeing as you do not need his usage, I can’t justify his turnover or foul rates here. I’d have slid Walker Kessler in along your high usage start, or thought about John Collins.
I really like McAdoo near the end of the fifth, adding a little more clean paint shooting to take the burden off of Harden. Overall, I think this team is even better than your .500 squad from last season.
Favorite pick: Bob McAdoo
Questionable pick: Ben Simmons
Who I would have taken: Walker Kessler – can think of few players who’d go better with Harden
22) ty84moss - Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, Walker Kessler, Larry Nance, Derrick White, Mitchell Robinson, C.J. McCollum
This is the right spot for Hakeem in a high cap league, and I’m struggling to think of anyone better than Erving in the second. Clearly I like the Walker Kessler pick since I’ve been telling everyone to take him. Really, I like all of these picks, with Mitchell Robinson in the sixth also giving absurd value.
I don’t have much to say about the team, since I liked the draft so much. I have this team as an absolute contender for a bye. If there’s one weakness it might be low passing numbers, which was the case for your team last season too though you did win the turnover battle. I think there’s just enough extra passing this time around to get you above break even in shooting.
Favorite pick: Walker Kessler and Mitchell Robinson were both so good I can’t just pick one
Questionable pick: None
23) seapilots - Moses Malone, Kevin Garnett, Anfernee Hardaway, Eric Bledsoe, Kristaps Porzingis, Marques Johnson, Mike Conley
There is a whole lot of usage on this squad. I mean, did you literally not draft anyone below 22 usage? I get using the available budget to boost usage, but this feels a bit excessive. There may be some small, fringe benefits to getting your weighted usage up to about 115 instead of the 105ish I usually aim for, but anything above 115 is totally and utterly useless in my opinion, yet you seem likely to clear that bar.
Especially given the final build, I probably wouldn’t take Moses here, who I do not have as next best after Hakeem. I personally would have gone with Whiteside or Capela over Moses, or maybe Embiid, but I don’t think Moses is unreasonable here and it’s in line with his ADP. KG makes sense, and then I wholeheartedly approve of Penny in the third in the 52; it isn't right for every team but it is the right fit here.
I don’t hate any of your remaining picks, in fact they’re all pretty good, but you passed on some lower usage studs like Donyell and Favors at the 3/4 or Gafford and Mitchell Robinson at the 5/6, and I think the addition of another player or two of that type would have helped this team.
I think this team will be a little over .500.
Favorite pick: Penny
Questionable pick: After Penny, I would have picked one of Bledsoe or Conley, not drafted both
Who I would have taken: Donyell for Bledsoe
24) steelers821 - Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Bill Russell, Chauncey Billups, Thaddeus Young, Daniel Gafford, Demarcus Cousins
This is probably the right spot for Embiid and Butler, though taking both only gives you about 55 minutes from your first two picks. Russell helps make up for this, and you have the usage to absorb him but Bill is still going to be putting up a lot of bad shots.
Billups isn’t always the sexiest pick but I like him for you in the fourth, especially since Mitchell Robinson doesn’t fit on this team. Thaddeus Young and Gafford are both good value where you got them, especially Gafford, and Boogie + Thad does seem to answer the backup usage question.
This roster seems perilously low on threes, though I’m not sure just how much room you have left to add to this team. Rebounding will be a strength, and your starters at least are pretty clean. I think this team will make the playoffs, but won’t reach the same highs as your 57 win team from last season. 50 wins not out of the question though.
Favorite pick: Chauncey Billups
Questionable pick: Bill Russell
Who I would have taken: Russell brings a lot to your team. But I’d have rather taken Walker Kessler who was still on the board – he doesn’t match Bill in every category but shoots better and turns it over less, and those things are important