by fabfries » Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:17 pm
The Fantasy Draft
(The G.M.'s thoughts have been logged here during the draft.)
Rd. 1, Pick 25
My thoughts are that this pick has to be someone on a long-term deal. I want to be competitive at the very least, as the owner has a desire to win, win, win.. he wants arena attendance maxed out. I can't take any chances with this pick - it has to be safe. Preferably, a wing to serve as the team's foundation. In discussions, the name Dan Hayward comes up. He's the no-brainer pick here. I can't believe he fell this far! The 24 y/o 6-9 forward has elite defensive potential (DPOY-level) and backs it up with elite basketball IQ and scoring ability. He can shoot it from anywhere and has the tools to be a defensive foundation for the squad. His only weakness is his passing and ball-handling ability, so I'll need an offensive initiator to pair with him. He's on contract for five years, at an average of 31 million a year. It's a lot, but it's worth it for a guy with this skill and work ethic.
Pick: Dan Hayward (24 y/o, 6-9 forward - 4.0/5.0 rating)
Rd. 2, Pick 3
So, we need an offensive initiator - a gifted passer and ball-handler to make up for Hayward's weaknesses. He also needs to be able to shoot the 3 and not be a total liability on defense. I prefer a younger player who will be in his prime when Hayward hits his. Charles Thompson is 25 and on a cheap contract, but he's not quite as talented as I would like (3.0/3.0). Mark Pruett is 23, and fits all the needs. His contract is a bit high (29mil/yr), but if he ends up reaching his potential (3.5/4.0), it will be worth it. Paul Tuggle is also intriguing. He is a bit less polished when compared with Pruett, but his contract is 10 million less per year and his potential is about the same. His defense is respectable, but he's not a great shooter and not quite the passer Pruett is. Lastly, we look at a dutchman in Thomas Barculo, who is the most talented, highest-paid, and oldest of the group. In the end, I go with Pruett, because his upside is as good as Barculo's, but on a cheaper contract.
Pick: Mark Pruett (23 y/o, 6-4 guard - 3.5/4.0 rating)
Rd. 3, Pick 25
We've had a good draft so far. I feel like Pruett and Hayward balance each other out very well. There's a lot of ways for me to go with this next pick. I don't need a point guard, and I'd rather not pick a center so high. I want someone who will blend in well with both of our main guys, and won't hurt our offense or defense. I'm not sure what to do with this pick, so I ask my coaching staff about the small forwards and shooting guards on the board. A lot of the guys they suggest would wreck our cap space. It's possible I pick someone who'll do that, but I don't want to set my team up with no cap flexibility. Plus, my owner would rather not go deep into the luxury tax if he doesn't need to. I end up going with Sylvester Layne, a offensive-minded swingman who, at 28, has a 2-year deal that I can walk out of If I don't want him back. He's a great passer, and I like his intangibles. His contract isn't great, but it's good enough for me.
Pick: Sylvester Layne (28 y/o, 6-3 guard - 3.0/3.0 rating)
Rd. 4, Pick 3
There is a guy I've had my eye on that I didn't pick last round because I knew he'd be available here. James England is a terrific 3-and-D guy on a 7 million dollar deal. He's listed as a guard, but he's tall enough to play at a forward spot. He'll mesh into my team and certainly could be a great 6th man if not starter at the small forward spot. I think he's more valuable than what meets the eye.
Pick: James England (27 y/o, 6-8 guard - 2.5/2.5 rating)
Rd. 5, Pick 25
At this point, I would like a young rebounder at the center spot. I'm looking for defense, rebounding, and shot selection here. I don't want a center that will jack up 3s even though he has no business doing so. I opt for Petras Kazlauskas, a 28-year-old Lithuanian who is on a 1-yr, 18-million-dollar contract. I'll plan to extend him at a more team-friendly deal during free agency. He rebounds unlike many others, and knows not to shoot the three unless I tell him to. He's also 7-foot-3.
Pick: Petras Kazlauskas (28 y/o, 7-3 center - 3.0/3.0 rating)
Rd. 6, Pick 3
It's a lot more wide-open now, because I feel like my core has been completed and now I'm looking for 3 abilites - shooting, defense, and court IQ. In my philosophy, these are the 3 most vital things for a competent rotation player to have. It's hard to find all 3, but if you do, that's a guy who can play in a playoff game for at least 8 or 10 minutes. PG Brandon Bandy has all three. I don't know how he fell this far. I really don't. He can score, defend, and handle the ball, and has good court IQ and endurance. He's a perfect backup guard and could start on many teams. He's on a 3-year deal worth about 11 mil/year. At this point, I'm just gonna disregard salary slightly. I really like our team and I can trade some pieces later on if it's too much. I'm not going to draft anyone who's on a crazy contract, though.
Pick: Brandon Bandy (25 y/o, 6-2 guard - 3.0/3.0 rating)
Rd. 7, Pick 25
I need a forward at this spot, because I have 3 guys under 6-5 in my first six picks. So, I look around and I see Bobby Powers, a spectacular shooter with defensive ability. He's well-rounded, and even though he is 32, I think he is the best player left on the board that doesn't have a ridiculous salary, although at $14 mil per year for 2 years is about as high as I'm willing to go.
Pick: Bobby Powers (32 y/o, 6-11 forward - 3.0/3.0 rating)
Rd. 8, Pick 3
At this point, my rotation is nearly finished, so I'm gonna try to get a prospect who will develop down the road. I'm looking for a guy who will become a solid role player down the line once Layne, England and Powers leave. Think of this as essentially a rookie draft pick. J.J. Thompson, a 20 y/o 6-9 forward looks intriguing. I like Butch Fizer a lot, too, who plays center and is 22. I think a lot of these guys, though, will be available later so I pick up a guy who I think is clearly better than his rating. SG Bill Tyler is another 3-and-D guy with balanced abilities. He's on a cheap contract and that's good, too, because I just got a call from the owner telling me to stop picking guys with high salaries.
Pick: Bill Tyler (26 y/o, 6-8 guard - 2.0/2.0 rating)
Rd. 9, Pick 25
I liked Butch Fizer last round and he's still available here. I think he's going to outwork his rating in our team system and he's on a 3 year deal worth 5mil per year. He defends well, gets his share of rebounds and doesn't take many bad shots. Apparently he's not the friendliest guy in the clubhouse but I think I can work on that if things start to sour. He's young and still has a little room for improvement. There are a lot of more skilled options here, but their salaries are too high for what the owner wants so I'm going to take Fizer here.
Pick: Butch Fizer (22 y/o, 6-9 center - 2.0/2.0 rating)
Rd. 10, Pick 3
I'm looking to take a forward here who can provide depth for Dan Hayward and preferably play some small forward minutes in a pinch. He can't have a large deal. It's going to be tough to balance. It's tempting because there are probably 7 or 8 starting-caliber forwards left on the board but they are all just too expensive for me. Maybe in the post-draft free agency we can pick one of those guys up (I think it's very feasible that we will be able to.) With this pick, I'll pick a veteran forward who can pass, defend, shoot, and handle the ball at a respectable level. He's not a good rebounder or scorer, but he is certainly serviceable for us. Nick Foster is the pick here in the 10th round on a minimum deal.
Pick: Nick Foster (30 y/o, 6-10 forward - 2.0/2.0 rating)
Rd. 11, Pick 25
Considering our guard depth, It's looking we need another forward for emergency purposes. When considering that we just drafted a guy who doesn't rebound well, I'm going to look for a rebounder to compliment him. I may even end up taking a center here. I figure that none of these guys will ever be playing big minutes, so why not take a veteran that can at minimum be a good presence in the locker room? I find a guy who is actually a serviceable player in Dwayne Bergeron. He has good touch and is a good enough rebounder, but he is also good defensively and has good court IQ. It's a steal in the 11th round - he's on a 2yr deal at 3mil/yr.
Pick: Dwayne Bergeron (29 y/o, 6-9 forward - 2.0/2.0 rating)
Rd. 12, Pick 3
This is the last round, so I'm going to get one more guard as a depth player. I take PG Phillip Drennen, who I'll probably let go at year's end but can give us good minutes in case of emergency on a minimum contract. He's capable of running a second unit offense even though he's our third-string point guard. He has a small frame but won't get burned by opposing backup point guards.
Pick: Phillip Drennen (32 y/o, 5-11 guard - 2.0/2.0 rating)