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“Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war”

The NBA draft season is upon us and it’s good to see you once again, metaphorically speaking, Razzballers. It’s been a while.

As we all eagerly await the draft, and the Wild West front office action of the NBA that will follow, in traditional Dynasty Deep Dive fashion, I thought I would highlight some of the guys heading into the draft that I am sticking my dick on the table for (to coin a phrase from a good friend of mine). Industry consensus thinking be damned.

It’s important to remember that progression isn’t linear, and landing spot will be huge in the development of these unfinished products. Maybe even more so in a projected weak class such as this, but I invite you to sit back, enjoy the ride, and enjoy a typical Dynasty Deep Dive dig into what I believe are some of the undervalued rookies heading into the draft.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

  Craig Bozic (@storytelling41) is joined by Jay Taaffe of The Fantasy Unicorns to compare their 2019 NBA Draft Big Boards, specifically the top 12. We take a deep dive into Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Bol Bol, Cam Reddish, and more. Got a question you want answered on the show? Find Craig on Twitter @storytelling41 […]

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Razzball presents the inaugural edition of the Dynasty Deep Dive podcast, hosted by our one and only dynasty guru from across the pond, Craig Bozic.

In this episode, Craig answers questions about Harry Giles and Dragan Bender, profiles Atlanta Hawks rookie Trae Young, reveals three potential buy-low candidates for dynasty leagues, and kicks off his 2019 NBA draft class profiles with Oregon center Bol Bol.

You can find Craig on Twitter @storytelling41 or via email at [email protected].

 

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The Utah Jazz provided the biggest surprise last season, taking advantage of a second half schedule that ranked as the easiest in the league to go on a remarkable run and finish as the 5th seed in the West. More importantly, they knocked out Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony from the first round of the playoffs with their usual gritty, defense-first style. The emergence of Donovan Mitchell as a potential NBA star, vast improvements in the pick-and-roll chemistry between Ricky Rubio and Rudy Gobert, and a roster that has been carefully molded to fit the system lends for plenty of optimism for the Jazz to build on last season’s success. It won’t be easier, however, as a number of teams in the West improved in the offseason. With that said, there should be plenty in the tank for the Jazz to walk away from the regular season looking forward to playoff basketball once again.

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12 months ago, the biggest criticism of the Washington Wizards was a lack of roster depth, and this season offers a similar outlook. Out goes the Polish hammer, Marcin Gortat, and in comes Dwight Howard, in an attempt to create some of the pick-and-roll magic which brought the Wizards team from one of the worst in the East to a perennial playoff team. The heartbeat of the team still revolves around John Wall, and if preseason is anything to believed, we can look forward to an uptempo Wizards offense led by the former All-Star looking to push the pace, flanked by an excellent wing combo of Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. Can Washington’s big three thrive with the arrival of Howard? History suggests no, as the last three teams Howard has played for have all seen a decline in the win totals. The East might be depleted this season, but for Washington to maintain the status quo, it must rely heavily on it’s starting rotation and pray for good health.

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Entering last season, most of the focus was on how the Bulls would adapt to the post-Jimmy Butler era. Given the current laugh-a-minute situation in Minnesota, it seems like the return of Lauri Markannen, Zach Lavine, and Kris Dunn has resulted in a big win for the Bulls. The team will be looking for big contributions from all three, as well as their marquee free agent signing of Jabari Parker and first round draft pick Wendell Carter Jr., to build upon a lackluster 27 wins from the previous year and, more importantly, show flashes of progression. The East is now Lebron and DeRozan-less, so the Bulls will be looking towards that 8 seed as a realistic target.

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It’s that time of year again Razzball Nation! The season is just around the corner, the draft season is starting with a bang, so what better way to help you prepare than to check out the predictions from your favorite Razzball fantasy writers. For those that did last season, you might have cashed in on Donovan Mitchell, highlighted as a sleeper pick by both myself and Son, and took my advice on avoiding Marcin Gortat, as my highlighted bust. Mel nailed Ben Simmons as Rookie of the year and Kris Middleton as comeback player of the year, while Tad was a game away (or even just a quarter way) from his Celtics vs Rockets finals matchup.

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Once again, a new era has begun in the Big Apple under the leadership of new head coach David Fizdale, which has got Knicks fans excited about the future. Personally, I’m on the Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson bandwagons. The Knicks finally agreed to buyout Joakim Noah and, despite Kristaps Porzingis possibly missing a huge chunk of time, are likely to use this season to assess all the young talent on the roster before embarking on a potentially ripe free agent period in the offseason. This squad may not have the experience to make a playoff run, but has the talent to draw interest from both dynasty and redraft owners.

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Heading into the offseason, it was clear that the Magic were in desperate need of a playmaker. As a result, many draft analysts, myself included, were anticipating that the Magic were going to select Trae Young with the 6th overall pick in the draft. The unexpected happened instead, as the Mavericks traded up to select Luka Doncic while the Hawks selected Trae Young at number five, leaving the Magic with the decision to take the best player available on their board or select based on need, which would have been one of the point guards in Collin Sexton or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Magic chose the former, but in doing so left a big hole at the point guard position and added to a crowded front-court that already consisted of arguably their three most talented players in Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and potential breakout star Jonathan Isaac, the 5th overall pick in 2017. Common sense suggests that it is likely that the Magic will explore the trade market throughout the season, potentially dangling Vucevic to address the need at point guard. Without strengthening the back court and given the inexperienced level of the team, another season missing the playoffs in the desecrated East division seems likely.

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The roster of the Sacramento Kings reminds me of a second-hand jigsaw puzzle that is bought from a car boot sale, only to get home and find that it has too many pieces. Despite drafting De’Aaron Fox, one of the fastest point guards in the 2017 Draft, the Kings complicated matters by not only playing at the league’s second slowest pace at just 98.1 possessions per game, but also signing George Hill as a veteran presence. Fast forward 12 months and things are more clear, as the over-priced Hill is no longer on the roster and the current personnel portends for an uptempo style of play to utilize the strengths of Fox and this years premium draft pick of Marvin Bagley III. The Kings have complicated matters in the front-court, though, with Harry Giles now healthy and the acquisitions of Nemanja Bjeilica, Wenyen Gabriel, and Deyonta Davis added to an already stacked core of Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufas, Skal Labbissiere and Zach Randolph.

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