I have a lot of fun doing these rankings, but just a reminder: please do not get upset with me over how I judge your team. These evals are as objective as I can make them. If you disagree with how I evaluate your team, please prove me wrong during the season! There is so much parody in this league and I am sure this season will bring many surprises. I hope you guys have fun reading these, and I wish you all luck for the upcoming season. Now, on to some evals!

666ace
1. Steph Curry - Curry is without a doubt the best three point shooter in the SIM. He adds good passing, good rebounding, and good defense, to his great scoring. Every single 50 win team in the last 12 seasons* has had at least 400 total threes on the roster. Let me repeat that. Every single 50 win team in the last 12 seasons* has had at least 400 total threes on the roster! Yes 400 is an arbitrary number, but the point is that you need threes in the ODL and 666ace just got 402 of them! All that being said, Steph Curry with the first overall pick????????????????????
2. Bill Russell - Russell is usually drafted near the first turn which is way too high for him, but at the second turn is a borderline steal. He brings a ton to the table and with his low usage, his shooting doesn't hurt you too badly. Great pick to pair with Steph.
3. Gary Payton - I usually dislike Payton in the ODL as I need threes from my guards, but you already got that covered in spades with Steph. Gary will provide a two position defender to cover a bit for Steph, and will provide some scoring and passing besides without a ton of turnovers. Not my favorite pick, but the fit is pretty nice.
4. Andre Iguodala - Iggy has an outstanding new season. 60+ efg% and does a little bit of everything. I was trying to fit him onto my team, but he doesn't make many threes and I was in dire need. You already have that covered with Steph, so Iguodala fits in nicely here.
5. Charles Oakley - Oakley gives you some much needed rebounds and adds some D and assists. I like how everyone in this lineup has at least 10 ast%. You still need some fire power off the bench as you really only have two scorers (and only one very good scorer), and I'm a little worried about what kind of scoring is available in the 6th round, but there are some very good role players here surrounding a true stud.
6. Brandan Wright - Lots of wonderful partial seasons. Great pick!
6. Lionel Hollins - eh

*I have only been keeping track of this for the last 12 seasons. For all I know, it probably has been going on longer.

Overall: Wrong Gary Payton season. He's going to hurt you. Would have liked to see a better Brandan Wright season as your bench is really bad. But Curry solves a lot of problems, and you have solid boards, passing and D with your main players. Depth is your biggest problem and you don't really have anyone outside of Curry who is good at scoring. Out of the playoffs, but not terrible.


bds9992
1. Wilt Chamberlain - Wilt is without a doubt a top two player in this league. He gives you everything. The only problem with him is his price tag. bds9992 just got a championship caliber star, but most owners screw their Wilt teams up. My other (small) beef with him is that you can't bump his minutes in the post season which means you can't increase the value of your team in the playoffs. However Wilt is probably the best regular season player in the ODL (provided you go with the right season).
2. Andre Drummond - Drummond is a beast and his new 16-17 season makes things interesting. Do you go with the higher efficiency 13-14 model, or the higher usage, higher rebounding 16-17 season? I know which one I would use, but I think it partly depends on who you can get with your third pick. Both versions go really well with Wilt, and you are looking at dominating the boards all season. Still have a lot of work to do on the perimeter, but it's a good start. Most people screw up a Wilt team in the 4th/5th rounds so be careful!
3. Donyell Marshall - Donyell is the original 3 and D. In the sim he brings awesome rebounding at the SF position along with great D, lots of threes at a good percentage, and very few mistakes. He is an awesome role player. bds9992 is going to dominate the rebounding battle with this threesome, but I'm getting worried about what kind of usage you're going to be selecting in the 4th and 5th rounds.
3. Isaiah Thomas - The new Isaiah season is a shiny one! 34 usage% with 54.6 efg% makes him a powerful offensive force. His low ast% lowers him considerably for most teams, but Wilt should cover a lot of that. You're still going to need a very good defensive guard who can play both positions, but I love the fit here. You badly needed a good scoring guard and you got a great one. I think trading up for him was a bit of a reach, because I am pretty sure he would have been there with your next pick, so on some teams I would call this a bad move. However, even if you might have stretched yourself to make this deal, I can't fault you too much because I like him a lot with this crew of low usage studs.
6. Dion Waiters - Don't like this pick, even if he is a backup. Not sure I see a single season of his that is that good. I guess his 16-17 season has some decent things, but I like my high usage players to have much higher efg%.
6. Alvin Robertson - Has some very good seasons and is the perfect fit as someone who can cover for IT at both guard spots.
6. Jim Price - eh

Overall: Your top 4 guys are awesome. So much rebounding and efficient scoring and the D is good (although there are some positional problems). Getting to play Wilt for 48 minutes a game should put you right in the playoff hunt, but your depth is going to hurt you badly. The first four may be awesome, but they are expensive, and I don't think you did a good job filling out your bench. Borderline playoff team, right on the edge.


cjok1051
1. LeBron James - LeBron at 3? LeBron at 3? LeBron at 3??????? This is an injustice. He needs to be a top two pick in every draft. CJ just got a huge break!
2. Russell Westbrook - 27.2 dreb% for a point guard? Wow. Pair that with 36.7 ast% and decent defense and you have the making of a top 10 player! Unfortunately, there's more to the story. 7.5 TO/48 is so many and pair that with below average scoring efficiency and an incredible 41.7 usage% and you have some of the worst negatives for any player in the entire data base. There is a lot to love with Russ, but even more to hate. CJ just took the ball out of the hands of a 60+ efg% player with low turnovers and gave it to a 47.6 efg% player with incredibly high turnovers.
3. Marcus Camby - Camby is the perfect player for this team and should never last until the third round. Great D, rebounds, and ast% with low turnovers and doesn't need the ball.
3. Tom Boerwinkle - Tom Boerwinkle was the right pick here, but I am not sure he is worth the trade up. Getting two less expensive players might have been better. Regardless, The Moose gives you tons of boards and assists. Along with Camby, he is the perfect role playing big guy for Russ. In fact all three players around Russ are perfect for him and give him the best chance to succeed. I would rather be building around LeBron and not around a turnover machine who can't shoot, but if you are going to go for it with Westbrook, this is the way to go. There is one glaring weakness to drafting Boerwinkle that most owners don't realize. Let's see if CJ can figure it out!
6. Thabo Sefolosha - Another very good role guy. Plays great D, hits shots including 3's, doesn't turn the ball over and rebounds pretty well, all for cheap. Perfect fit here. Honestly if I'm wrong about Westbrook and he's actually an ODL stud, then CJ has the title in the bag. I'm not wrong about Westbrook.
6. Mark Eaton - Very good low usage center with tons of blocks. Probably can't use his best seasons though.
6. Chris Mullin - Perfect player for this team. I love every single pick CJ made except for the Westbrook pick.

Overall: Lots of turnovers and not very efficient scoring, but wow the other stuff looks good. Don't really know what to think about this Westbrook led team. Hate taking the ball out of LeBron's hands at the end of the game, but LeBron and Co. are perfect compliments to make up for Westbrook's mistakes. Really curious as to how this team is going to do. No idea. Penciled in as a playoff team, could win anywhere from 30-50 games.


banditone
1. Michael Jordan - Jordan has long been an ODL joke. How does the best player of all time not have a single ODL ring? How does he miss the playoffs far more than making them? The problem comes down to two things. Most people use the wrong season, and most people spend all their money on expensive sidekicks who are derivative with Jordan aboard. He is a unique ODL challenge, that I am dying to try out in a future season. However, for all the bad press, 8 usage points, 55% efg%, great defense, great rebounding for a guard, and good passing is nothing to sneer at.
2. Bill Walton - Walton is a perfect pairing for Jordan. 90 D plus 30+ Dreb% and a relatively efficient game. Bill is a great pick here and one of my favorite sim players. His production for his price tag makes him an incredibly underrated ODL player.
3. Shawn Marion - banditone is quietly putting together a really good team. Marion is Donyell Marshall without the threes but with higher efg%. I think I like Marion a little more provided you can get enough threes on your team. banditone really needs to address his outside shooting with his remaining picks, but if he can do that, I love this threesome.
4. Bobby Jones - Jones is a really good complimentary piece who should never have been available this late in the 4th round. High efg% and low turnovers with 100 D, Bobby fits in between Walton and Marion very nicely. He is a bit expensive for not having a ton of rebounds, but this team already has a ton of boards and I love the fit here.
5. Brandon Rush - Rush is a good underrated role player who doesn't cost much. Exactly what this team needed! I'm a little worried about the assist floor being reached with some lineups and this is an expensive starting lineup so I am a bit worried about what that bench will look like. However, this is a very attractive team after five rounds.
6. Steve Novak - So many threes for so cheap! A good fit on this team.
6. Goran Dragic - Has a very good backup point guard season. Looks like MJ will be the point guard which I really like and Dragic will do a fine job backing him up.

Overall: You had a near perfect draft, but the end result is awful. 87 MJ is terrible for this league, and you don't have a PG! Playing this MJ at PG where he is 95% effective and doesn't have enough assists is a disaster. You're going to be below the ast% floor on every possession and you have more minutes than you need. You had the players to walk to 45 wins, but these are the wrong seasons of some really key guys. Lucky to win 30.


ImPagliacci
1. Shaquille O'Neal - Shaq is a scoring machine who can play D, get some boards, and pass a little. It's too bad he can't hit a free throw. It's hard to find his combination of high usage/efg% without high turnover %, now all you have to do is pick the right season.
2. Amar'e Stoudemire - This is way too early for Amar'e. While he gives you elite scoring, he is a pretty one dimensional player that you could have gotten easily in the third round. Pairing him with Shaq puts you in a huge rebounding deficit that you are going to have a really hard time crawling out of.
3. Terry Porter - Porter does a little bit of everything. He is a very solid point guard and I can't say anything negative about him, but I feel there are similar players that always go significantly later. Porter always goes in the late 2nd/early 3rd range so maybe people know something I don't, but it just seems to me like you can get most of his production later. This team right now is easily the worst rebounding team. That's a big problem.
4. Kyle Korver - Who's going to rebound for you? Korver does one thing really well and a lot of things okay, and is a fine pick here. However, you don't have a single above average rebounder on the roster so far!!!
5. Jamario Moon - Finally a good rebounder. Moon is the perfect pick for this team adding great D and rebounding. HIs shortcomings are already covered on this roster. Perfect pick. Still think you might be screwed in the rebounding battle which is incredibly important. Maybe too little, too late.
6. Al-Forouq Aminu - Better late than never with the rebounds! This is a great pick for your team.
6. Ron Harper - Has some good seasons and some bad seasons. Pick the right one!

Overall: Way too many minutes you aren't going to use, wrong season of a key player (Porter), only one shooter, and below the ast% floor whenever Porter sits. However, Shaq and Amar'e are going to be tough to stop offensively, and you did a great job getting much needed rebounds late in the draft. I have you as easily missing the playoffs, however this is one of the evals I am least confident in.


pointfwd
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - I will always have a soft spot for Kareem after he led me to my first ODL title. I used to think he was the automatic third pick (this was before Curry), and while I am no longer that high on him, he is still a solid pick here. Great usage/efg%, solid rebounding and passing with good defense.
2. Manu Ginobili - Manu somehow fell to the middle of the third round last season and I still think he is a steal this season at 43. He should go in the early to mid 2nd round every season. Manu can score, rebound and pass well all while playing decent defense. And he comes relatively cheap! This is a great pick here, and forms a nice 1-2 punch with Kareem.
3. Mookie Blaylock - I've never been a big fan of Mookie in the ODL. He provides usage, threes, and defense, but the efficiency isn't there which makes the usage less important. Plus you already have two guys with really high usage and good efficiency so Mookie is just taking shots away from them. If you went with a slightly lower usage version with lower turnovers and higher efg% I would like this pick better, but for that version of Mookie this is probably a reach and I still don't love the fit. This was one of my favorite teams after two rounds, but this pick left a sour taste in my mouth.
4. Kris Humphries - A very good role player that I think you could have gotten with your next pick. However, he gives you some much needed boards. I like the fit a lot, but the value isn't great.
5. Chris Webber - A super intriguing pick that I could see going either way depending on which version of Webber and Mookie you use. If you use the right ones, then I love this pick and fit with this team.
6. Earl Watson - Has some really good backup point guard seasons. Very good 6th round pick.
6. James Donaldson - eh

Overall: A few more minutes than I like, and not the most efficient, but a deep bench made for regular season success. I disagree with your Kareem season, but it looks like you nailed the rest. Very good rebounding, lots of threes, and did I mention deep? Solid playoff team.

vancem
1. Karl Malone - The Mailman is unique in the data base as the only player with 8 usage points, 54% efg%, 20 dreb%, and 10 ast%. Add a little extra passing to that along with 90 D and you make a great player even better!
2. Deron Williams - Williams is an efficient scorer, great passer and good defender. He is a solid 2nd round pick and a great partner for the Mailman.
3. Dikembe Mutombo - Mutombo adds a 100 defender who blocks a ton of shots, rebounds alright and is efficient on offense. He has fallen out of the 2nd round lately due to some current players, but getting him in round three is a steal. Having a great PG, PF, C combo after three rounds is incredibly valuable in the ODL as good wings are easy to come by later.
4. Joel Embiid - I was really liking this team up until this pick. Taking a 10 minute a game guy in the fourth round is never a good idea, but The Process is nowhere near a good ODL player (yet). Despite, good rebounding, passing, and great D, the negatives here far out way the positives. For a guy with that much usage, you need more efg% and way less turnovers. He costs too much for his 10 minutes and those 10 minutes aren't as good as they look.
5. Eddie Jones - Solid role player and a cost effective wing option who fits in well with this team. I think you probably could have gotten him in the 6th round though.
6. Rodrigue Beaubois - A wobderful 9 minutes of backup point guard with great usage and efg%.
6. Michael Smith - A beast at the small forward position. Love both of your 6th round picks.

Overall: A few minutes short of what I like, but you should be able to make it work with good micromanaging. Relatively deep team with good D, and solid in most places. Not quite enough 3's and while solid, this team isn't extraordinary in many things. Right in the playoff mix, fighting for a spot.


mikee1
1. Moses Malone - Moses Gives you incredible O-boards, good efg% and usage%, and good defense. He is a great player to build a team around, although I do think there were still better players available. There are certain types of teams though where he is uniquely qualified to lead, so time will tell if this was the right pick.
2. Chauncey Billups - Chauncey is a solid second round point guard who plays good D, hits some shots and does a little of everything else. Plus his price tag is reasonable. I wish his efg% was higher, but that's why you grab Moses.
3. Joakim Noah - With 90 D, good rebounding, and 21.4 ast%, Noah is a stud role player. I would still like to see more efficient scoring on this squad, but this is a solid pick.
4. Tracy McGrady - This pick interests me as I would have assumed you were going with a higher usage Chauncey. Not sure what to make of your roster now. T-Mac brings a lot to the table and has incredibly low turnovers for his usage, but that high usage and subpar efficiency are always a big problem. Moses is going to have his work cut out for him on the boards!
5. Charlie Edge - Filling this team with board lords who can play D is essential and Edge is a perfect fit here. You are going to lose the shooting battle with this team, but you just might win every other battle and that might be enough!
6. George Hill - How did Hill last to the 6th round this season?! He is an awesome backup who never gets past the 5th.
6. Antonio McDyess - Definitely has some good useable seasons for a backup.

Overall: A little short on minutes, a weak bench and your main scorers aren't very efficient. Good rebounding, passing and your starters have great D. Should be close to your average wins/season, but I agree with your team name, and I'm going with the Over.


ysw128
1. Dennis Rodman - The Worm is a truly unique player in the SIM, both in a good and a bad way. With so many boards you are set in one of the most important categories and can focus on other things. Plus Rodman's ability to play small forward allows you to grab a huge rebounding advantage over any and every opponent at that position. However, you are also drafting a low usage specialist when the top of the draft is where all the high usage studs go. It's tough for me to pick Rodman over any of them. The main problem I have seen with many Rodman teams is that they pair him with a guard who doesn't shoot threes and before they know it they are only rolling out 200-250 total threes on their team. There is no easier way to pick up a win than being able to play -2 defense against a team that can't shoot from deep!
2. Kevin McHale - McHale and Rodman were made for each other. Every deficiency one has, the other has in spades. You still need another high usage scorer, and you still need lots of threes and assists, but this is the perfect pick for a Rodman team.
3. Derek Harper - Harper is a jack of all trades, master of none type of guy. He is a decent role player who doesn't make mistakes and he comes at a great salary, but I don't think he does enough positives to warrant a third round pick.
4. Jerry West - The Logo gives you usage you badly need and 90 D. I've never been as high as some other owners on Jerry in the ODL as I would prefer he had higher efg% and lower turnovers and think you could have gotten a better player. However, this is lower than he is usually drafted so it's hard to fault you too much for this.
5. Troy Murphy - If it weren't for his 33 D, Murohy would be the perfect ODL role player. For a team like this one that is loaded with defense and has the players to cover for him, Troy is the perfect fit. Him and Rodman will cover all of McHale's rebounding deficiencies and he gives you some great shooting besides. This team still needs some firepower off the bench.
6. Kenneth Faried - Great ODL player who gives tons of boards at the SF. Perfect backup to Rodman.
6. Chris Gatling - Great usage and efg% off the bench. Still need some good backup guards.

Overall: Not quite enough minutes, and your bottom five are terrible, but your top seven is mostly pretty good. I think that depth is going to really hurt though. Solid team that misses the playoffs by a few games.


jhsukow
1. Dwight Howard - Dwight will put up lots of efficient points and lots of boards while playing great defense. What more do you want in a top 10 pick?
2. Alonzo Mourning - Zo brings 28.1 usage% with 55.1 efg% and great D. I wish his rebounding was better, but pairing him with Howard will take care of some of that. This is a powerful big man combo and I like it a lot, but I'm a bit worried about the assists and threes you're going to desperately need going forward. If you can find some good guards that fall a little in the draft, this could be a dangerous team.
3. Rajon Rondo - Rondo is a great point guard in this league that does pretty much everything well except shoot 3's. That might be a problem if you don't address it, but right now this team looks pretty nasty.
4. Maurice Cheeks - Cheeks can pass, play D, rebound a bit, and even score relatively efficiently. This team badly needs 3-point shooting, but that can be addressed later. Pretty much everything else is covered.
5. Nikola Jokic - In a vacuum, Jokic seems like a perfect fit here and is a great value and player. He can come off the bench and dominate and his defensive deficiencies will be covered up by the rest of the roster. I tried to get him to work for my team, but he was too costly for my bench and I worry a bit about the cost of the roster so far. Still badly need 3's.
6. Raja Bell - Very good value for the amount of efficient threes plus defense and minimal turnovers. Exactly what this team needs.
6. Shane Battier - Love your two 6th rounders. Both players are very efficient with low turnovers, decent to good D, and tons of threes!

Overall: Drafted minutes you aren't going to use, and should have spent that salary on upgrades to your bottom 5 guys. Also your rebounding isn't as good as I thought it was going to be. However, I really like your top 7. Very balanced with very efficient high usage guys and great role players. Fighting for a playoff spot. Right on that edge where every game could be the difference maker.


dh555
1. Chris Paul - I love Chris Paul in the SIM. He is a very good scorer, great passer, great rebounder for a point guard, great defender, and doesn't turn the ball over. This is good value for him and DH will get the very best out of CP3.
2. Anthony Davis - The Brow, while not being quite the efficient scorer I would like, plays such a clean game. I'm not as high on him as some people are especially since I think he is probably best used at SF and I'm not drafting a non-elite wing in the first three rounds. However, he is definitely a solid 2nd round pick. dh555 has established an incredibly low TO team despite having two 22.1 + usage guys. This is a big deal and a great way to start off winning that possession battle.
3. Elton Brand - dh, gets a steal in the third round. Brand is the perfect SF for this team, giving him good usage and efg% along with very good rebounding, D, and low turnovers. Pretty hard to find any faults with this pick.
4. Danny Green - Is this team ever going to turn the ball over? Green may not be the sexiest pick, but he is a great cost effective role player. This team is cheap so far which is going to give dh great depth, and they play an incredibly clean game despite having three players with good usage. I'm very intrigued as to what the final roster looks like!
5. Tree Rollins - Another clean player with great D, this team just doesn't make mistakes. It's usually hard to get enough ast% with turnovers this low, but CP3 takes care of that all on his own.
6. Al Horford - Always one of the best 6th round picks, should never have lasted this long into the round.
6. Greg Anthony - Very solid backup to Paul.

Overall: Not sold that you used the right Anthony Davis, but this defensive monster of a team doesn't make mistakes, boards up, and hits its threes. That's a recipe for success especially under one of the best owners in the league. Division Winner.


jkaye24
1. Magic Johnson - I think this is a slight reach. Not because Magic isn't great, he is, but because of the other players still left. With the 12th pick I feel like you need one of the elite scorers. That being said, I usually feel like he drops too far. Magic is really good. So much assists and great rebounding along with pretty good scoring and underrated defense. He gives you a lot of flexibility with your roster as you can play him at multiple positions and he has multiple great seasons that can work with different strategies. jkaye24 has proven to be one of the better ODL owners and will find a great way to use Magic.
2. Artis Gilmore - Artis is a great anchor for a team. There are a couple of different seasons you can use for him, but whether you want the slightly higher scoring and better defending version or one of the more efficient versions, he is a great 2nd banana for a team.
3. Larry Nance - Nance is a great 3rd wheel who provides elite D, with good efg%, low turnovers, and decent boards. All three players on this team have multiple seasons that are playable in the ODL so it will be interesting which ones you use.
4. Gerald Wallace - A very expensive fourth round option for what he brings, but that 100 D season is mouth watering.
5. Ryan Anderson - The first pick I am a little perplexed about. I don't know what he gives you that you couldn't have gotten in the next round.
6. Anderson Varejao - Has some really good backup seasons where he does a bit of everything, but he doesn't come cheaply.
6. Boban Marjanovic - Some of the best 6 minutes in the sim!

Overall: Not enough minutes or threes for my liking, but a very solid team that does almost everything well. It doesn't really do anything great either and I don't like it as much as I usually like your teams, but I'm sure you will out perform this estimate. Borderline playoff team, right in the mix.

rjk2781
1. John Stockton - I love Stockton, but I feel like you maybe should have gone with one of the elite scorers left. That being said, Stockton's unique combination of Ast%, efg% and defense is truly special and is a great piece to build around. He makes everyone better.
2. Klay Thompson - Klay is very efficient, plays great D and doesn't make mistakes. He might be a little under qualified as a go to scorer, but I love his fit with Stockton. However, you are at a huge rebounding deficit right now and that needs to be addressed badly with the next three picks.
3. Shawn Kemp - Turnovers and fouls will be a problem with Kemp, but he's a stud. He's a high usage big man, who plays D, rebounds well and passes alright. I like this pick, but you are going to need some low turnover rebounders.
4. Bismack Biyombo - Biyombo is an awesome 12-13 minute a game backup in the ODL. But in the fourth round? You need more minutes than that here.
5. Enes Kanter - Kanter has that one very good partial season and is a good fit here, but you could have easily got Biyombo and Kanter in the 5th and 6th rounds. You waisted a fourth round pick with the perfect guy for this team sitting right there.
6. Michael Redd - Great value. It's hard to find a better combo of usage and efg% with such low turnovers.
6. Jonas Valanciunas - Definitely a fine backup with decent rebounding and low turnovers.

Overall: Less minutes than I would like, but very efficient. Could be better on the boards, and have a few weak defenders, but this team is going to score a ton. Right on the edge of the playoffs.


scudmissle
1. David Robinson - GM Scud always structures his teams around a great defense and he just got himself the perfect anchor for his team. With over 55% efg% at 26 usage% along with decent rebounding and 100 D, the Admiral is a stud.
2. Bob McAdoo - Very good 2nd banana with efficient scoring, good rebounding, decent defense and a clean game. He's not the 90 D guy scud usually takes, but I love the fit with Robinson. This team still needs some good guards, but this big man duo is playoff worthy.
3. Walt Frazier - Despite not being available to draft, Scud gets an old favorite. 90 D, with good rebounding, passing and efficiency. Still badly need threes, but they can be had later.
4. Brent Barry - Love the Barry pick. Not only do I love Barry in the Sim anyways, but he is perfect for your team! Great shooting with good passing and okay boards. He has decent defense and your other players defend so well that he would be covered even if his defense was weaker. I made a failed gambit I could get him a few picks later, instead of just drafting him when I had the chance. Great Pick.
5. Dan Majerle - Thunder Dan is known for stroking the ball which is exactly what you need. Unfortunately he isn't quite the shooter most people think. He's good, but not quite even 40% from deep. Still, he plays good D and doesn't make mistakes while getting up a lot of threes. He's exactly the type of player you need, even if I think there are better versions of him available.
6. Tim Hardaway - Don't really get this pick. Not traditionally a ODL pick because of his middling efg% to go with higher usage and his average at best D. Does bring lots of assists to the table.
6. Swen Nater - Has a number of cheap low usage backup seasons with tons of boards and no D. Great backup minutes.

Overall: A couple of weird season choices, including using a lesser DRob, but overall this team is very solid with little to no weaknesses. Solid playoff team.


eleibowitz
1. Kevin Durant - And the run of elite wing scorers begins! Durant is probably my favorite of these guys, and with 8 usage points and 56% efg% he is one of the elite scorers in this league. He adds pretty much everything else you want in a top dog too.
2. Anfernee Hardaway - You guys know it's a 5-year right??? How do we let Penny fall to eleibowitz at 34???
3. Tyson Chandler - I wish I would have been following the third round more closely. As soon as I realized Tyson was still available and perfect for my team, I also realized he was perfect for eleibowitz team and there was no way he was passing Chandler up. If I had been on top of my game I would have tried to trade up ahead of him, but no dice. Through three rounds, this is easily the best team.
4. Marques Johnson - Not my favorite pick, but it's hard to deny his value in the fourth round. Not many guys with 4 usage points, 55 +efg%, good passing, rebounds, D, and low turnovers left. If he shot any threes he would be the whole package. And that 100% SG season is a good fit here.
5. Oliver Miller - Underrated player with a cheap price tag is perfect for the ODL. Not the best rebounder, and while this team is certainly fine in that department, it's not stellar.
6. Eric Bledsoe - The perfect backup ODL point guard.
6. Samuel Dalembert - Efficient with good D and low turnovers, he is a great backup for relatively cheap.

Overall: A little low on assists, but who cares? This team has almost everything else. Good balance of efficient scoring, very good rebounding, mostly clean, and solid if unspectacular D. Division Winner.


milest
1. Charles Barkley - Awesome value for Sir Charles here. High usage with 60+ efg% and great boards, he is a borderline top 10 pick in my opinion. That middling defense always drops him, but you gain so much offensively and on the board (especially if you play him at SF).
2. Hassan Whiteside - I'm a huge Whiteside fan in the sim and am interested to see what version you use. The new 16-17 season brings more usage and scoring with a tad more rebounding, but less efficiency and D. I definitely prefer one to the other, but either way he is a stud. milest has a leg up on the rest of us in the rebounding battle after two rounds.
4. Mike Conley - 16-17 Mike Conley does it all and will be a mainstay in future ODLs. Very good 4th round point guard with no weaknesses.
4. Larry Sanders - The trade clearly worked out for you as you got your old friend with the extra pick. 100 D with good rebounding, Sanders is a pretty good ODL player, but unfortunately no longer deserving of the all caps name.
5. Kirk Hinrich - Kirk is a pretty decent backup point guard, but I feel like there are still players available who do the same thing only better. A little confused by this pick.
5. Jason Terry - Very underrated in the ODL and has one season that is perfect for your starting two guard. I won my first ODL Chip with Terry and am always surprised he almost never gets drafted. Think you could have pretty easily got him in the sixth round however.
6. Kyle O'Quinn - Very good backup with a studly 16-17 season.

Overall: Too many fouls, and I wish you went nine deep instead of eight, but I like this team a lot. Very efficient scoring with low turnovers and high rebounds. Solid playoff team, outside chance at the division.


benhoidal
1. Larry Bird - Last time I drafted Bird I was a Dwyane Wade buzzer beating 3 away from winning game 7 of the finals. Yes, you heard that correctly.
2. Tim Duncan - Duncan at 32? You guys are making this too easy.
4. Robert Parish - Eh, not who I wanted with this pick and I might have made a mistake trading down. Still, Parish is very good value here and gives me another 90 defender who can score.
4. Andrew Bogut - Incredibly cheap for someone with 60+ efg% and 28+ dreb%. He doesn't make mistakes and plays good D. Great role player. I got my bigs covered, now the only question is are there any good guards left?
5. Nate McMillan - Very solid low usage guy who brings a lot to the table. Not the most minutes in his best season, but the value/cost is amazing.
5. Otto Porter - He will be drafted in every ODL from now on. Incredibly efficient with good boards and threes. If only his D was a little better.
6. Jon Barry - Very good backup guard. Cheap enough that I will be 9 deep with good players, just the way I like it.

Overall: Not my best team, but it will do just fine. Division winner.


gerryred
1. Kevin Garnett - 03 KG is an incredibly unique SIM player. If his efg% was just a bit higher he would be a top 10 guy without a doubt. gerryred will have his work cut out for him trying to raise that shooting percentage, but if he can manage it, watch out! A little early for KG here, but as a born and raised Minnesotan, I will never fault someone for taking the Big Ticket.
2. Jason Kidd - Kidd is the perfect compliment to Garnett and definitely a steal at 31. He is very efficient, hits a lot of threes, passes and rebounds very well, and doesn't turn the ball over much. He doesn't score a ton and his usage is low for one of your top two guys, but that also means his price tag is low and he is a huge bargain.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns - You're begging me to love your team with this pick. The two greatest T-Wolves of all time? I'm rooting for you!
4. Ray Allen - Big Jesus Shuttlesworth fan and he's a perfect fit here for your team. You have your usage covered now and can focus on getting some good role players.
5. James Worthy - I don't really understand this pick. He's your fourth option offensively so you are paying for a lot of usage you won't use. It's going to be hard to find enough good bench players with the amount of money you have left.
6. Kendall Marshall - Lots of assists, but does little else. He's a decent backup at point.
6. Elmore Smith - Has a couple of okay seasons, but you didn't need to draft him, you could have gotten him as an undrafted player if you really wanted him.

Overall: More minutes than you are going to use, not the most efficient, high turnovers, with big defensive gaps. But you get a lot of boards, and hopefully your three point shooting can win you some games! Misses playoffs. I see a large range of outcomes for this team though, not super confident in my win total prediction.

robusk
1. Kawhi Leonard- Kawhi is one of the best values in the entire database and an awesome ODL player. The only problem with picking him in the first round is his low minutes. While that's part of the reason for his value, the big minute guys drop fast in this league and while you might have better depth going with a bunch of partial minute players, you're going to have significantly less minutes for your studs than other teams.
2. Rudy Gobert - The 16-17 Stifle Tower is an improved version of an already very good player. Efficient with good boards and high D, he is a great 2nd round pick. This team still needs scorers however, as Kawhi is best used as a 2nd banana. Very clean team so far with lots of boards.
3. Clyde Drexler - Not the most efficient player, but he does a bit of everything and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Both him and Kawhi are best at the SG position, so I don't love the fit, and I don't like having both starting wings this early. I almost never get my second wing until the 6th round, because you can get a lot of value there at those positions.
4. Jerry Lucas - Lucas does a bit of everything. Despite low usage% he has an efg% at 56.7%, has great rebounding numbers (12.2/26.8), can pass (11.1 ast%), and plays a little D (50). He is a great role player who will fit nicely with Gobert.
5. Nicolas Batum - Batum is someone who should be drafted more. Decent defense with 55.4 efg%, 16.8 dreb%, 17.6 ast%, and lots of threes. Thats a pretty good wing!
6. Jose Calderon - Uhh!!! You grabbed him right before I could! Tons of assists and efg% with low turnovers, if Jose could play any defense at all he would be a first round pick!
6. Ervin Johnson - Johnson is a low usage player with solid efg%, good rebounding and decent defense. You didn't need to draft him, so if there was another player you were interested in you should have taken him, but Johnson is definitely a decent backup big.

Overall: Deep and very efficient. Not the Drexler season I would use, and I don't really like your backup usage much, but overall I think this is a very solid team. Playoff team with a chance at the division title.

seapilots
1. Giannis Antetokounpo - The Greek Freak is one of the elite wing scorers and while you thought this might have been a reach, I actually think this is as low as he will go in upcoming drafts. Truly a stud player and great first option.
2. James Harden - Testing out all the new players huh? Looking at Harden's numbers this season, it is hard not to be amazed. 19.4/36.8 dreb%/ast% with improved scoring efficiency and decent defense? WOW. However there is one glaring number that is even more awe inspiring (in a bad way). I would have liked Giannis to be the first option on this team, but honestly I have no idea how Harden is going to work out in the ODL. I wouldn't have drafted him here, but it's hard not to be intrigued!
3. Andrei Kirilenko - Kirilenko is a great role player who brings 100 D and a swiss army knife array of other skills.
4. Clifford Ray - I was hoping Clifford would fall to me and I even considered him in the third. He brings so much rebounding and great passing for the fourth round. He is a great fourth round pick.
5. Pau Gasol - Gasol does a bit of everything. Decent defense, but a very efficient scorer who can rebound and pass.
6. Reggie Evans - Very cheap for all those rebounds! Great role player for this team. Not the best defender, but you aren't finding an equal rebounder this late.
6. Eddie House - Great shooting, with decent other stats, and minimal mistakes. Good role player to fill out the roster.

Overall: Extremely high numbers in everything! Unfortunately that also means turnovers and fouls. Not a very clean team, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. Playoff team with a wide range of outcomes.


rubnsly
1. Hakeem Olajuwon - It's really hard to win with Hakeem in the sim. His best shooting seasons sacrifice rebounds, and his best rebounding seasons sacrifice offense. Plus he fouls so much. However, you can't knock a guy too hard when he gives you excellent D along with being solid everywhere else. Still, I would never touch him in the first round and often criticize owners for taking him in the second because of his price tag.
2. Julius Erving - The Doctor is a 100 defender with good rebounding and good assists. Too many people who draft Erving seem to select the wrong season. This is an incredibly costly team at this point and I'm not a fan of it at this moment. Hope you prove me wrong.
3. Mark Price - Price gives you much needed assists and efg%, but I think you could have gotten him or someone as good in the fourth round. Not quite a reach, and he definitely fills a need, but not my favorite pick either.
4. Kevin Love - Love is a great 4th round pick in a vacuum, but you now have four high usage players with your first four picks. This team is going to be way too expensive. You are either going to have an incredibly weak bench or not enough minutes.
5. Bo Outlaw - I love the Outlaw pick. He gives good rebounding and passing at the SF along with great defense. He is also very efficient. You need more low usage guys who do it all like him with your last two picks! It would be nice if he gave you some threes as you are possibly going to be scrambling for them later.
6. Omer Asik - Great rebounding, and pretty cheap, exactly what you need from the backup big.
6. Muggsy Bogues - Excellent low usage backup point guard. This is exactly the type of player you needed. Still need to find good cheap options among the undrafted players.

Overall: You are going to be battling fatigue all season and none of your high usage guys are all that efficient. Miss playoffs.


jcred5
1. Scottie Pippen - Scottie is usually a high 2nd rounder but I've seen him go in the late first a couple of times. He does a bit of everything, and while he isn't the go to guy I want with a first pick, it's hard to doubt jcred5 will get the most out of him.
2. Draymond Green - Draymond gives you a bunch of everything. Along with Pippen, this duo has a ton of rebounds for a shooting guard/small forward combo and a ton of assists along with two 90 defenders. The biggest problem to me is that you just selected two guys from the easiest two positions to fill with value later in the draft. You better hope some of the good bigs and point guards fall!
3. Horace Grant - Horace usually adds a ton of rebounding at the small forward and plays 80 D. Draymond also plays SF so I'm a bit concerned with the fit here as both players aren't as good at the power forward. jcred5 now has three very good ODL players, but all three are best used as wings, which is where the value is later in the draft. Not sure what kind of bigs and point guards you're going to get.
4. Buck Williams - Buck is a great bargain buy in the fourth round. He does so many things well, and has a number of seasons that bring a lot to the table. This team now has four really good ODL players, but I must admit, I'm confused as to how they are all going to fit together. I can't really put my finger on how this team will do yet. Can't wait to see what the final team looks like!
5. Kemba Walker - Kemba is a very intriguing player. Very low turnovers for that high usage which is great, but I wish his efg% was higher. Still, for needing usage in the fifth round, you probably got the right guy here. We will see if waiting on your usage comes back to haunt you, but you have four great players surrounding Kemba.
6. Arvydas Sabonis - Sabonis has a great efg%/usage ratio. He can score, rebound, pass, play decent D, and even stroke it a bit from deep! Definitely fills a need on this team.
6. J.R. Smith - Smith can light it up from deep and is a great bench scoring option. He doesn't do much else, but he will put up some points in a hurry!

Overall: Could use some more minutes and the bench is weak, but this team is very clean and efficient with lots of 3's. Right in the mix for a playoff spot in a very competitive playoff race.


copernicus
1. Dwyane Wade - I've never been a huge D Wade fan in the sim, but at 23 it's hard to deny his value. Owners consistently do well with him. He brings 100 D, good rebounding, decent assists and a ton of usage (with a ton of missed shots!). You might be able to guess why I've never been the one to draft him, but he's a good pick here.
2. Ben Wallace - Wallace gives you 30+ dreb% and 100 D. That's a great role player and the perfect complement to Wade. This is a dangerous duo.
3. Serge Ibaka - Serge is a great defender who brings excellent shooting and tons of blocks! How is anyone going to score on this team?
4. Charlie Ward - Charlie Ward is a very cheap option and the perfect point guard for this team. 86D along with solid efficiency, boards, and assists, Charlie will play for almost 30 minutes a game at under $5 million. That's a bargain! He also adds the one thing this team desperately needs: Threes!
5. Chris Andersen - Birdman is a great 100 D backup you can board and finish efficiently. No one is scoring on this team, but copernicus needs to make sure he gets enough 3's or they won't be scoring against all of the -2, -3 defenses either!
6. Emeka Okafor - Okafor has a few pretty good complimentary seasons to choose from with decent efg%, good rebounding and decent defense.
6. Carmelo Anthony - Carmelo adds a dynamic bench player for those 10 minutes he is on the court. Great value for him. I'm still worried about the amount of threes this team will get, but otherwise it is very very solid.

Overall: More minutes than you are going to use and the offense is very poor. But look at that defense!!! Five 100 defenders, plus others who are pretty good. I have to be honest, this team is one of my hardest to rank. Not quite sure how the extremely good D will work with the poor O. Just outside the playoffs but there is a lot of variance here.


uptowngbv
1. DeAndre Jordan - A borderline first round pick because of the elite rebounding and efficiency, it's hard to fault taking him here after all the elite scorers are gone. Now you need some efficient guys with some major usage to get the most from him!
2. Steve Nash - I love Nash in the sim. You need to play him with a super high defense guard who can play both positions, but if you find the right backcourt parter, Steve is an incredibly potent weapon. His combination of usage, efg% and ast% is unmatched.
3. Patrick Ewing - Very efficient scoring for that high usage and great D, his biggest weakness is rebounding which DeAndre mostly covers. You will need more rebounding later, but this is a great fit. Not the best value for Ewing as he is usually available later, but the fit is so good I don't mind the small reach.
4. Kyle Lowry - Lowry has a wonderful 16-17 season that does everything. He is the perfect point guard for the start of the fourth round. His fit next to Nash is a little weird as he has decent D, but nothing too great. You are going to have a tough time guarding teams with good guards as preferably Lowry would be the one you hide. Lowry is going to have his work cut out for him guarding the elite guys at those positions so you better hope your division is full of the elite big guys!
5. Marvin Williams - Wonderful pick. One of the best bargain small forwards in the entire data base
6. Jamaal Tinsley - Great backup point guard, although you still don't have that defensive guard to cover for Nash.
6. Manute Bol - Great backup big who adds tons of blocks and great D, but I'm a little worried about the boards especially when DeAndre sits.

Overall: One of my favorite teams. Very balanced with some elite players as well. So many 3's! Solid playoff team, outside chance at the division.

1st Round

1	666ace	Stephen Curry
2	bds9992	Wilt Chamberlain
3	cjok1051	LeBron James
4	banditone	Michael Jordan
5	ImPagliacci	Shaquille O'Neal
6	pointfwd	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
7	vancem	Karl Malone
8	mikee1	Moses Malone
9	ysw128	Dennis Rodman
10	jhsukow	Dwight Howard
11	dh555	Chris Paul
12	jkaye24	Magic Johnson
13	rjk2781	John Stockton
14	scudmissle	David Robinson
15	eleibowitz	Kevin Durant
16	milest	Charles Barkley
17	benhoidal	Larry Bird
18	gerryred	Kevin Garnett
19	robusk	Kawhi Leonard
20	seapilots	Giannis Antetokounpo
21	rubnsly	Hakeem Olajuwon
22	jcred5	Scottie Pippen
23	copernicus	Dwyane Wade

24 uptowngbv__DeAndre Jordan



Observations
1. And with the first pick in the ODL 65 draft, 666ace selects... Steph Curry?
Steph Curry is great. His 15-16 season is one of the three best seasons in the entire sim database. He is the defending best player on the reigning championship team, he gives you enough threes all by himself, he can score at an elite level, pass, and even play a little defense. He is absolutely a cornerstone to build a championship caliber ODL team with. But with the 1st pick? It has to be LeBron or Wilt.

2. The Great Big Man Debate!
I've already gone over my point guard rankings in a previous eval, (Although they have changed considerably), so now I want to cover the big men! After Wilt, every season there are seven guys who go in the top 10-15 picks every season and it seems to be in a different order every time. So, who is the best big guy after Wilt? Let's meet the candidates!

Shaquille O'Neal - 2nd highest usage of the big 7, he's probably the best scorer here, although those free throws can hurt you at the end of the game. Too many people take the wrong Shaq season.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Very good at absolutely everything, however he isn't the best of this bunch at a single thing. Too many people take the wrong ODL version of Kareem.

Karl Malone - Highest usage, although slightly lower efg% then some of these guys. Karl's outstanding passing separates him from the rest of these guys.

Moses Malone - 18% Oreb%. That's the number you are selecting Moses for. He is a monster on the O-glass, however while he is good at most other things, he falls a little short of the other guys in most other categories.

Dwight Howard - Best DReb% of the bigs plus very efficient scoring and great D. Higher turnovers and poor free throw shooting.

David Robinson - 100 Defense, plus very solid at everything else.

Charles Barkley - Most efficient player if you use one of his best two seasons. Slightly lower rebounding (unless you play him at the SF) and the lowest defense amongst these guys.

The Verdict - Here is how I rank the big guys in the ODL:

Tier 1: Wilt
Tier 2: Shaq, Dwight, Kareem, Karl in that order
Tier 3: Barkley, Robinson, Moses in that order

Let the debates begin!

3. 16-17 players are here!
After a long wait, the 16-17 players have been released!!! This is the craziest single season I think I have ever seen in the database, but how will that translate to the ODL? Only one goes in the first round, but I'm guessing a few go in the 2nd. It's going to be hard to judge where some of these guys should go in their initial drafts.

4. Welcome to the first round Giannis Antetokounpo!
He belongs. Along with Durant and Bird, the Greek Freak is the superstar cornerstone scoring forward who can lead a team to the chip. Expect him to be a first round staple from here on out.

5. No trades in the first round.
I'm disappointed. I love breaking down trades and seeing what the market is on a first round pick always surprises me. Hopefully there's some wheeling and dealing in the next few rounds!

6. Steals:
LeBron James (3)
Kevin Durant (15)
Charles Barkley (16)
Larry Bird (17)
Biggest Steal: LeBron - My number 1 guy falls to 3

7. Reaches
Stephen Curry (1)
Magic Johnson (12)
Kawhi Leonard (19)
Hakeem Olajuwon (21)
Biggest Reach: Hakeem - I usually dislike him in the 2nd round so you can guess how I feel about this pick.

I choose my steals and reaches (at least for the first round) based on a tier system I have. For instance, I think there are 9 tier 1 players, 6 tier 2 players, and 5 other players who in my opinion are automatic first rounders. If you drafted a tier 2 player 5th, I am going to call it a reach. However, if you drafted a tier 2 player with the 8th pick, I am probably not despite there being two players I would personally take that are left on the board. At that point it's just a preference and not a reach. Same goes with steals.

These are of course just my opinions so feel free to disagree, however please do so civilly. I try to make these observations as objective as possible. If you disagree with something I say please feel free to comment, but above all prove me wrong once the season starts!

2nd Round

25	uptowngbv	Steve Nash
26	copernicus	Ben Wallace
27	jcred5	Draymond Green
28	rubnsly	Julius Erving
29	seapilots	James Harden
30	robusk	Rudy Gobert
31	gerryred	Jason Kidd
32	benhoidal	Tim Duncan
33	milest	Hassan Whiteside
34	eleibowitz	Anfernee Hardaway
35	scudmissle	Bob McAdoo
36	rjk2781	Klay Thompson
37	jkaye24	Artis Gilmore
38	dh555	Anthony Davis
39	jhsukow	Alonzo Mourning
40	ysw128	Kevin McHale
41	mikee1	Chauncey Billups
42	vancem	Deron Williams
43	pointfwd	Manu Ginobili
44	ImPagliacci	Amar'e Stoudemire
45	banditone	Bill Walton
46	cjok1051	Russell Westbrook
47	bds9992	Andre Drummond
48	666ace	Bill Russell

Observations
1. Is the two standout defender trend declining?
In seasons past, it was almost malpractice not to have two guys with at least 70 D after two rounds and at least half the owners had two guys with 90 D. While a good chunk of teams still have two very good defenders after two rounds this season, I only count about 9-10 with both guys having 80D or above. It may sound like common sense to draft two great defenders, but there are a lot of stud offensive players out there with slightly lower defense and to me it seems that in seasons past some owners were reaching for players with good defense and barely average offense. For the most part I love drafting two great defenders right away (how could you not?), but I think in some instances, owners were going overboard and taking average players way too early. I'm curious if more guys with average defense and awesome offense start getting drafted in the first two rounds in the upcoming seasons.

2. 6 1st rounders from last season go in the 2nd, 5 2nd rounders go in the 1st

Trending up: Hakeem (18 spots up), Garnett (10),
DeAndre (7), Kawhi (6), Pippen (5)

Trending down: Artis (15 spots down), Duncan (14), Dr. J (10), Penny (10), Kidd (8), Draymond (7)

Trending way up: Giannis

3. Best Duos after round two (listed in order of first round pick)*:
i. Wilt and Drummond - Mostly just because of Wilt. Don't screw it up!
ii. Michael Jordan and Bill Walton - Make sure you pick the right seasons!
iii. Kareem and Manu - Manu is incredibly underrated.
iv. Kevin Durant and Penny - This is almost unfair. One of my two favorite duos so far.
v. Bird and Duncan - Bird was a slight steal and Duncan a huge one. Will dominate with the right support.
* There were a lot of great choices but I limited myself to five. Some really tough cuts in the 6-8 range.

4. 16-17 players
As many as 5 new player seasons might have been drafted in the 2nd round. I can't wait to see how some of them turn out!

5. Triple Double? Or Triple Trouble?
Russell Westbrook is without a doubt the most interesting player in the database. But how good is this triple double king?

The good: 27.2 dreb%, 36.7 ast%, 61 D

The bad: 41.7 usage %, 47.6 efg%, 7.5 TO/48


6. Steals:
Jason Kidd (31)
Tim Duncan (32)
Anfernee Hardaway (34)
Manu Ginobili (43)
Bill Walton (45)
Biggest Steal: Duncan - although any of the first three could win this. All three should be automatic first rounders.

7. Reaches:
James Harden (29)
Amar'e Stoudemire (44)
Russell Westbrook (46)
Biggest Reach: Westbrook - I thought Amar'e was going to win this in a landslide until the Westbrook pick.

Round 3

49	666ace	Gary Payton
50	bds9992	Donyell Marshall
51	cjok1051	Marcus Camby
52	banditone	Shawn Marion
53	ImPagliacci	Terry Porter
54	pointfwd	Mookie Blaylock
55	vancem	Dikembe Mutombo
56	mikee1	Joakim Noah
57	ysw128	Derek Harper
58	jhsukow	Rajon Rondo
59	dh555	Elton Brand
60	jkaye24	Larry Nance
61	rjk2781	Shawn Kemp
62	scudmissle	Walt Frazier
63	eleibowitz	Tyson Chandler
64	cjok1051 (via milest)	Tom Boerwinkle
65	bds9992 (via benhoidal)	Isaiah Thomas
66	gerryred	Karl-Anthony Towns
67	robusk	Clyde Drexler
68	seapilots	Andrei Kirilenko
69	rubnsly	Mark Price
70	jcred5	Horace Grant
71	copernicus	Serge Ibaka
72	uptowngbv	Patrick Ewing

Observations
1. Trades!

Trade A
cjok1051 gets picks: 64 (Tom Boerwinkle), 138 (Thabo Sefolosha)
milest gets picks: 94 (Larry Sanders), 99 (Kirk Hinrich)

Trade B
bds9992 gets picks: 65 (Isaiah Thomas), 136 (Dion Waiters)
benhoidal gets picks: 95 (Andrew Bogut), 98 (Nate McMillan)

I'm going to talk about these trades together since they are essentially the same trade. Moving up 30 spots and only moving back 38 or 39 spots later is usually a great deal, so both cjok1051 and bds9992 win the trades in a vacuum based on value. For milest and benhoidal, they can win the trades if they still get the player they were going to pick anyways with a later pick, plus pick up an extra asset. cjok1051 moves up to select Tom Boerwinkle, who was the right pick at that spot and for his team. I definitely think this was a good trade for him since he also got great value with his Thabo pick. Milest got Mike Conley and Larry Sanders with his two fourth round picks and I'm pretty certain he would have gone with those guys at 3, and 4, so getting an extra 5th round pick makes him a huge winner. However, then he took Hinrich whom he could have gotten later, so I'm not as high on it as I would have been otherwise. For bds9992, he moves up to take Isaiah Thomas who provides tons of usage with decent efg%, both things he needed badly. He has a lot of other faults and I think he would have been there later in the draft, but I think the fit is great as long as he gets a good guard defender to cover for him. His Waiters pick left a sour taste in my mouth though. I move back and unfortunately did not get the guys I wanted. I still got four good players though in the 4th and 5th rounds, so even though I think I could have done a little better without the trade, I'm still happy with who I got.

Trade Grades:
cjok1051: A Moved up to take the best player available and still got a perfect fit later.
milest: A Got the two players he wanted anyways and picked up an extra asset. Would have been an A+ if I liked Hinrich.
bds9992: B-/C Might have been able to get Thomas later and I don't like Waiters, but if you are right that Thomas would have gone then it's a decent trade.
benhoidal: B+ Didn't get the guys I wanted, but picked up a good pick and still got some good players.

2. Most intriguing 16-17 player in the round: Karl-Anthony Towns
This could have easily been Isaiah Thomas, but we already talked about him so I'm going with my guy Karl. 6 usage points with high efg%, very good rebounding, decent passing, and decent turnover percentages make him an absolute stud. Unfortunately that D is down at 41. I'm curious if he will ever get the Steve Nash treatment in future drafts where he starts as a third rounder and slowly crawls his way up into a 2nd rounder in a few seasons.

3. The 3rd round is the point guard round, but should it be?
Every year 7-10 point guards go in the third round. This year it's 8. Here is my opinion on drafting a point guard in the 3rd round: Don't do it! If you can't get an elite point guard in the first or early second, wait until later. There are point guards that go in the 4th and 5th rounds every season that are almost as good as the ones drafted in the 3rd. The big guys drafted in the 3rd however, are usually much better than the ones later on.

4. Steals: ?
Marcus Camby (51)
Shawn Marion (52)
Elton Brand (59)
Tyson Chandler (63)
Biggest Steal: Tyson Chandler, although it could easily be Brand as well

5. Reaches:
There's some picks I don't like that well, but nothing I see as a big reach. Great job guys! I won't be this kind next round!

Round 4

73	uptowngbv	Kyle Lowry
74	copernicus	Charlie Ward
75	jcred5	Buck Williams
76	rubnsly	Kevin Love
77	seapilots	Clifford Ray
78	robusk	Jerry Lucas
79	gerryred	Ray Allen
80	benhoidal	Robert Parish
81	milest	Mike Conley
82	eleibowitz	Marques Johnson
83	scudmissle	Brent Barry
84	rjk2781	Bismack Biyombo
85	jkaye24	Gerald Wallace
86	dh555	Danny Green
87	jhsukow	Maurice Cheeks
88	ysw128	Jerry West
89	mikee1	Tracy McGrady
90	vancem	Joel Embiid
91	pointfwd	Kris Humphries
92	ImPagliacci	Kyle Korver
93	banditone	Bobby Jones
94	milest (via cjok1051)	Larry Sanders
95	benhoidal (via bds9992)	Andrew Bogut
96	666ace	Andre Iguodala

Observations
1. Best Player Available vs. Salary
This one is a tough one to balance and can make or break a draft. Say a really good player is still on the board in the fourth round that fits your team perfectly, but he is expensive and if you draft him your bench will suffer. What should you do? I don't really know. I guess I usually go with the best player available (as long as they fit in my team structure). After the fourth round, I usually try to fill out my entire 12 man roster to see how it fits and if I am low or high on salary. Yes, sometimes this backfires as some of those players get taken, but it at least serves as an outline. For example, last season I had filled out my roster with the players I wanted and realized I was a little high on cap. So I turned some of my later players into low usage scrubs that played lots of minutes for their salary. Of course, then one of my other players got drafted so I had to do it all over again! But at least now I had the framework of how many minutes I would need at each position and how much I needed to spend before spending on the scrubs. This question is certainly a tough one.

2. Most Intriguing 16-17 player: Tie between Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley
This is a bit of a copout declaring a tie, but in the entire data base there are only two players (not including 1st or 2nd rounders) with 24 usage%, 54 efg%, 22 ast%, and 50 D. They both also add good rebounding. They are actually very comparable and it's hard to differentiate to much between the two so it's going to be interesting to see where they go each season. Both are very solid 4th round picks who will sneak into the 3rd round sometimes.

3. Don't use per game statistics!
Per game statistics were mentioned a couple of times in the comments. DO NOT USE THEM! THEY ARE WORTHLESS! Use the advanced stats, the defense number, and the per48 for turnovers if you don't want to have to look up the advanced number on another site.

4. Steals:
Bobby Jones (93)
That's really it. You guys did such a good job not reaching in the third that no one really dropped.

5. Reaches:
Jerry West (88)
Joel Embiid (90)
Biggest Reach: Embiid in a landslide. The Process isn't yet ODL worthy.

Round 5

97	666ace	Charles Oakley
98	benhoidal (via bds9992)	Nate McMillan
99	milest (via cjok1051)	Kirk Hinrich
100	banditone	Brandon Rush
101	ImPagliacci	Jamario Moon
102	pointfwd	Chris Webber
103	vancem	Eddie Jones
104	mikee1	Charlie Edge
105	ysw128	Troy Murphy
106	jhsukow	Nikola Jokic
107	dh555	Tree Rollins
108	jkaye24	Ryan Anderson
109	rjk2781	Enes Kanter
110	scudmissle	Dan Majerle
111	eleibowitz	Oliver Miller
112	milest	Jason Terry
113	benhoidal	Otto Porter
114	gerryred	James Worthy
115	robusk	Nicolas Batum
116	seapilots	Pau Gasol
117	rubnsly	Bo Outlaw
118	jcred5	Kemba Walker
119	copernicus	Chris Andersen
120	uptowngbv	Marvin Williams

Observations
1. Is playing players with less than 100% efficiency at a position worth it?
This is something that was brought up in the forum chat and is often a contested point. If a player is 99% or 98% effective at a position why would you play them there? Often times it's to get a rebound huge rebound advantage. For example, if you take the best Barkley season he is 100% at PF, but only 99% at SF. He has 13.5 OReb% and 20.0 DReb%. For a power forward that 20% is good, but certainly not great. However, if you play him at small forward he has 19.8% DReb%. That is great rebounding and gives you a huge advantage on the boards. Sure, you give up 1% of his other stats, but with a player like Barkley you aren't losing much to get that huge advantage. In short, you have to decide if the huge rebounding bonus is worth the slight loss in other stats. In my opinion it often times is. Now with a player like Webber, who is only 97% at SF, you have to decide yourself if that 3% is worth it, or if there's a player out there with more than 97% of Webber's production.

2. Most Intriguing 16-17 player: Nikola Jokic
This one isn't close. 4 usage points, 60+ efg%, 25+ dreb%, 10+ oreb%, 20+ ast%. This guy is a stud. However, low defense, a decent amount of turnovers, and a very high price tag make him very hard to fit into a team as a fifth round pick.

3. Steals:
Chris Webber (102)
Nikola Jokic (106)
Marvin Williams (120)
Biggest Steal: CWebb

4. Reaches:
None
I'm a firm believer that in the 5th and 6th round there are no reaches. Everyone has different needs for their team and only they know what they have planned for the rest of their roster.

Round 6

121	uptowngbv	Jamaal Tinsley & Manute Bol
122	copernicus	Emeka Okafor & Carmelo Anthony
123	jcred5	Arvydas Sabonis & J.R. Smith
124	rubnsly	Omer Asik & Muggsy Bogues
125	seapilots	Reggie Evans & Eddie House
126	robusk	Jose Calderon & Ervin Johnson
127	gerryred	Kendall Marshall & Elmore Smith
128a	benhoidal	Jon Barry
128b	bds9992 (via benhoidal)	Dion Waiters
129a	milest	Kyle O'Quinn
129b	cjok1051 (via milest)	Thabo Sefolosha
130	eleibowitz	Eric Bledsoe & Samuel Dalembert
131	scudmissle	Tim Hardaway & Swen Nater
132	rjk2781	Michael Redd & Jonas Valanciunas
133	jkaye24	Anderson Varejao & Boban Marjanovic
134	dh555	Al Horford & Greg Anthony
135	jhsukow	Raja Bell & Shane Battier
136	ysw128	Kenneth Faired & Chris Gatling
137	mikee1	George Hill & Antonio McDyess
138	vancem	Rodrigue Beaubois & Michael Smith
139	pointfwd	Earl Watson & James Donaldson
140	ImPagliacci	Al-Farouq Aminu & Ron Harper
141	banditone	Steve Novak & Goran Dragic
142	milest (via cjok1051)	Mark Eaton & Chris Mullin
143	(via bds9992)	Alvin Robertson & Jim Price
144	666ace	Brandan Wright & Lionel Hollins

Observations
1. A 2nd round player from last season fails to get drafted!
Yes, Dirk was a huge reach last season, but wow! What a difference one season makes. Also three 3rd round picks from last season (Vince Carter, Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant) fail to get drafted this season.

2. Most intriguing 16-17 player: Dion Waiters (I guess)
Not a lot of 16-17 players in this round. bds9992 swears Waiters was the right pick there. I disagree. We will see!

3. Steals:
Arvydas Sabonis (123a)
Jose Calderon (126a)
Samuel Dalembert (130b)
Al Horford (134a)
George Hill (137a)
Biggest steal: Calderon

4. Reaches:
I don't feel like there are any reaches at this point. Hopefully everyone is drafting based on need, and as everyones' needs are different it is very hard to judge a pick badly.

Team name grades!
This is just for fun and not meant to cause offense to anyones' team name. You will see that I have a certain preference for ODL team names and if yours doesn't fit that specific preference you probably won't be rated high. However, this is just one person's opinion so please don't take offense.

There is a good chance I will misinterpret what your team name means. If this is so and you care about the grade you got, just let me know and I will re-grade you.

A+
Praying for Scuddy - copernicus/scudmissle - I thought there was no way I would be giving out any A+'s, especially after my team name last year (Who's Coming in Second?) lived up to the hype. However, this one makes my team name seam incredibly insignificant. Wishing Scud a speedy recovery. Great tribute.

A
CP3 and D- dh555 - Simple, but incredibly effective. Uses your best player's name in a way that effectively describes your team and plays on the 3 and D terminology.
Zorba the Beard - seapilots - The Greek Freak meets the Beard in this great use of word play. Also helps that Zorba was partially known for his beard.
King or the Fool - cjok1051 - This one works in multiple ways. Does taking Westbrook in the 2nd make CJ the King or the Fool? Will the ball be in the hands of the King (LeBron) or the Fool (Westbrook) when it matters?

A-
Lil Penny's Posse for Tyra - eleibowitz - Just went and re-watched all the Lil Penny commercials, got me all pumped up. Kinda a mouthful and don't get the posse reference, but Lil Penny is gold!
Gilmore Boys - jkaye24 - Excellent topical reference to your 2nd round pick.
Kawhi U Wanna Doo Me Like That? - robusk - Is this a Snooky Pryor reference? Great use of your 1st round pick's name.
Kicks - banditone - Lots of MJ names to use, but I like the simplicity of this one.

B+
Timber Two - gerryred - Reference to my two favorite players of all time! The actual name isn't the best, but major bonus points from this T-Wolves homer!
DWIGHTMARE - jhsukow - Great use of your best player and possibly the perfect name for this team, but you drop a few increments since you didn't come up with it.
Dishin' And Swishin' - rjk2781 - That's exactly what this team is going to be doing! I prefer odes to the actual players on the team, but this is still a solid name.
The Little Guy That Could - bds9992 - A great Isaiah Thomas team name! Points off for using your fourth round pick.

B
Over 35.5 - mikee1 - Using my over/under odds is a great way to get bonus points with me, plus a little confidence, plus I agree with you. Points off for it being 35.5.

B-

C+
Fab 4 - pointfwd - I get what your trying to do here (I think). Chris Webber reference but you only have 4 great players instead of 5? Clever, but I think it's only a Fab 2. Points off for not using one of your top drafted players in the name.

C
The Analysis of Clark Kellogg - rubnsly - In a vacuum, I actually really like this team name. But what does it have to do with your team??

C-
Sir Chips A-Lot - milest - Sir Chips A-None. Points for using Barkley's knighthood in your name, but chips is something he, and most of your players, are severely lacking. Unless we are talking potato chips in which case this should probably get bumped up a full letter grade!
Kemba is no IT - jcred5 - Using your fourth round pick and then ragging on him, is a quick way to drop grades.
The Sim Devil - benhoidal - I was recently called the Sim Devil, by an owner I used to respect. He's been running a smear campaign against me in multiple leagues now, most of which are straight lies. Anyways, not my most unique or clever name by any means. I should have used "The Legend Runs on Duncan," but I've used iterations of that a few times in the past.
flint tropics would kill my bench - ysw128 - Yes, your bench is weak, but I hate sad sack nicknames. Where's the bravado?? Points for Semi-Pro.

D
Ours Is The Fury - uptowngbv - Love some SOIAF, but this is a basketball league! Also lose points for using it over and over.
Rainmakers Cornbread$ - 666ace - It's a mouthful but I think I get where you are going. Curry is the Rainmaker (although you only have one rainmaker and you used the plurality), and Cornbread is the cornbread. I don't get the $ sign in there.

F
Electric Mayhem Needs Drummer - ImPagliacci - Is this the name of your Guitar Hero fantasy team?

I(ncomplete)
A Couchful of Farts - copernicus - Are you referencing your players being bad and therefor farts? Is someone on this team known for farting? You don't have Dwight or Artis so I'm a bit confused.
Wrong's Made Right - vancem - What are the wrongs you are going to make right?

Over/Under
I set the over/under of each team based on the owner's wins per season over the last 12 seasons. I round to the nearest .5 (So if you have averaged 44.6 wins, then the over/under is 44.5). I go to the nearest .5 so that there can be no pushes. Only for owners who have an exact number for their average wins will I keep it at a whole number. For the three new owners to the ODL, I averaged the win totals from the 9 owners in my records who have only played 1 season.

Owner	Over/Under	My Bet	My Prediction
666ace	28	Over	34
banditone	27	Under	25
bds9992	36.5	Over	41
benhoidal	51.5	Over	53
cjok1051	38.5	Over	44
copernicus	40.5	Under	38
dh555	46.5	Over	50
eleibowitz	47.5	Over	54
ImPagliacci	26	Over	30
jcred5	43.5	Under	42
jhsukow	37.5	Over	42
jkaye24	45.5	Under	43
mikee1	35.5	Over	36
milest	45.5	Under	45
pointfwd	31	Over	45
rjk2781	42.5	Over	43
scudmissle	44.5	Under	44
seapilots	45	Push	45
uptowngbv	40	Over	46
vancem	43.5	Under	41
ysw128	42	Under	38
gerryred	36.5	Under	33
robusk	36.5	Over	44
rubnsly	36.6	Under	28

10 Bold Predictions!

10. The central will have the best record among the divisions.
Usually this is much easier as there is oftentimes much disparity between divisions. This might be as even as close as I've ever seen them. My predictions for win totals leave the divisions with the following +/-: Central: +2, Midwest: +1, Atlantic: -1, Pacific: -2

9. rjk2781 will lead the league in scoring.
Other competitors for the scoring crown:
eleibowitz, seapilots, milest, bds9992

8. The Midwest division comes down to the last day of the season.
I have cjok1051 and robusk finishing with the same record and a few owners right behind them. robusk gets the tiebreaker!

7. The battle for the 6th seed in the West comes down to the last day and the last week is as competitive of a race as we have ever had!
I have 7 owners in the Western conference between 41 and 45 wins. Only 5 will make the playoffs so two owners will go home just shy. Right now I have jcred5 and bds9992 just outside the playoffs.

6. The Eastern playoff race is less entertaining but still comes down to the last day.
jkaye24 beats out jhsukow by 1 game!

5. Eleibowitz, dh555, and benhoidal win their divisions.
This one doesn't seem bold at all so let's change it. eleibowitz, dh555, and benhoidal win their divisions by at least 5 games each!

4. Durant leads the league in scoring
Other players with a chance: Curry, Westbrook, Wade, MJ, Isaiah

3. I get all 12 playoff slots right
No one has gotten more than 10 before (I've done it twice), but this time I'm sweeping the playoff predictions!

2. The number 1 seeds meet in the finals!
I don't think it has happened in at least 12 seasons, but it's happening this time!

1. eleibowitz survives the five year jinx this time.
Last time I did my predictions was ODL 60 and I predicted eleibowitz to win. It was his first five year he didn't win. Can I jinx him again?

Playoff Predictions


Atlantic
Eleibowitz wins the division
pointfwd and scudmissle/copernicus make the playoffs
vancem just misses the playoffs
gerryred and rubnsly fall short

Central
benhoidal wins the division
uptowngbv makes the playoffs and competes for the division
jkaye24 and jhsukow battle it out for the 6th seed
666ace and ImPagliacci fall short

Midwest
robusk, cjok1051, rjk2781, jcred5 all compete for the division and for the playoffs
ysw128 and mikee1 just miss the playoffs

Pacific
dh555 wins the division
milest and seapilots make the playoffs and compete for the division
bds999 competes for a playoff spot
Copernicus falls just short of a playoff spot.
banditone misses the playoffs

Eastern Conference
1. eleibowitz 54
2. benhoidal 53
3. uptowngbv 46
4. pointfwd 45
5. scudmissle/copernicus 44
6. jkaye24 43

Western Conference
1. dh555 50
2. robusk 44
3. milest 45
4. seapilots 45
5. cjok1051 44
6. rjk2781 43


1st round
uptowngbv over jkaye24 in 7
pointfwd over scudmissle in 7
rjk2781 over milest in 6
cjok1051 over seapilots in 6

2nd round
eleibowitz over pointfwd in 5
benhoidal over uptowngbv in 6
dh555 over cjok1051 in 7
rjk2781 over robusk in 7

Semifinals
eleibowitz over benhoidal in 7
dh555 over rjk2781 in 6

Finals
eleibowitz over dh555 in 6

It's a five year.