LOGIN

Another day in my recovery from back surgery and another post, this time bringing you more ideal landing spots for another ten prospects destined for the 2018 NBA draft.

The final ten ideal landing spots coming tomorrow before we get into the nitty-gritty of my predraft fantasy rookie rankings.

Let’s quit the jibber-jabber and get straight into the action.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Yes Razzball nation, Dynasty Deep Dive is back. I was nearly out for the season, Greg Odon-style, but the current recovery from back surgery has allowed for a swift return back to prospecting and podcasting for your basketball needs on my 2 year anniversary of serving up delicious offerings for those dynasty teams of yours.

The season might be over for fantasy basketball, but now should be the time that your research and scouting clicks into overdrive.

Now for some time of a little self indulgent reflection. For those of you that are new to Dynasty Deep Dive, this was the article in the pre-season that recommended you draft Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markennan, John Collins and Malik Monk. Ok, it might have took Monk three quarters of a season to get going, but there are many a championship team out there that owe thanks to his late season production. Don’t believe me? Check out last preseasons article for yourself: https://basketball.razzball.com/dynasty-deep-dive-roto-rookie-effect-ft

This week I will be focusing purely on where I see potential fits for guys in the upcoming draft class and ease my way back onto the court with a minutes restriction. But it is good to be back and make sure to tune in throughout the off season for your prospect draft breakdown.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The All-Star break is here and boy am I looking forward to a chance to recharge the mental batteries, absorb more college and euro basketball than I already do, and self-indulge in a little more time with the family at home, albeit in poor health.

So sticking with self-indulgence, and given a week of Rodney Hood-like stomach issues, I am breaking the mould this week to bring you a little flavor of one of my personal favorites and European basketball’s best kept secrets.

So who is this big secret?……Well here are some clues for those of you that like your European hoops and wanna play a game (he says with a jigsaw tone to his voice). You may of course follow me on twitter @storytelling41 and already know this answer.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waddup Razzball nation!!

Welcome back to another edition of Dynasty Deep Dive, here to fill your fix for finding the stars of the future.

For the 2nd edition of my likely lottery picks, I will be focusing on yet another former McDonald’s All-American and likely the pride of the PG class, Trae Young.

If you read Dynasty Deep Dive, then you are familiar with the name, and also aware that many anaylsts are divided on the sharp-shooting Sooner. Let your brother from a different mother enlighten you on why he is ranked 2nd overall (currently) in my mid-season 2018 draft eligible rankings.

My Razzball colleague, Tad, provided the numbers for my current top 12, so if you want to see how Trae stands out on a statistical standpoint, be sure to check it out.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

Let me take you back to the early 90’s, a time when all my hopes and dreams of becoming a professional sportsman in some capacity were still well and truly alive. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was a staple for all teenage males and it was a period when we saw a NBA All-Star team have Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing start for the East and lose by 40 to the West.

During my twenties, I looked back to my younger years and thought, “If only I had better physical tools. What could I have done in sports if I was 6′ 4″? What if I could have run the 100 meters in sub 11 seconds?”

I am now a 35-year-old in Brighton, England with a back condition that makes Greg Oden look like a fine specimen of health. I now live vicariously through those professional athletes that I admire the most, and I am sure that is the case for many of you.

So what has that got to do with today’s article? In the Dynasty Deep Dive, I delve into the future and not the past. Well, this week I will be looking into one of college basketball’s freak specimens with physical tools that are unmatched in this year’s class: Mo Bamba.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Whatup Razzball Nation!!

All good things come to those who wait. In what has been a challenging few months with my own health and the passing of a family member, I am back with another portion of Dynasty Deep Dive, as those of you who have been keeping up to date with the Razzball Basketball podcast would know.

So where are we at? What has happened in my absence?……………

Only the development of yet another superb freshman class, in what has been a topsy-turvy, can’t miss season in college basketball. The action hasn’t stopped there, though, as we have witnessed what no other 18 year old has done before and that is dominate the Euroleague (Europe’s highest level of basketball) with a mixture of wizardry and masterful shooting from one of the best European basketball prospects to have stepped foot on the court (and I believe that to be no exaggeration).

So who are these pretenders? What makes them so special? Well, keep reading and let me take you on a little journey of why I’m drooling over the 2018 NBA draft class.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

The season has come. I started by feeling excited and anxious during the day on Tuesday, knowing that my favorite past time was about to start. The clock struck midnight (living in the UK I am five hours ahead of EST), my Astros were leading 4-0 in game 3 of the ALCS, life felt good, great in fact and then……………………………. BOOM!!

Quicker than you could say Georgios Papagiannis my whole world came crumbling down. Not only did I see my Astros blow a four-run lead, but simultaneously witnessed the potential career-ending injury of Gordon Hayward (of which I can gladly say, he is expected to make a full recovery).

Sport has it’s funny ways, and Tuesday provided one hell of an emotional roller-coaster. Wednesday was no different. Armed with some expensive gourmet shit (as Samuel L Jackson would say) and NBA.TV I felt like a kid on Christmas, not knowing which game to watch at any given time, attempting to watch four at once. Not well I might add.

So, to reestablish order, let’s take a few deep breaths and go back to my bread and butter, Dynasty Deep Dive style and take a look at next years top-heavy draft class.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Marcin Gortat tops my players to avoid list for 2017/18

It’s feeling fresh outside, winter is fast coming, and so is the basketball season. Just 80 hours away from tip off, at time of writing, and boy has it become an exciting time in my sporting life (well viewing anyways) with my Astros 2-0 in the ALCS and the imminent start of the hoops season. Oh, did I mention that I have a nice 16-day autumn break holiday starting too?

I am sure you guys, Razzball Nation, are just as anxious for the start of the season and, in preperations for your final drafts, I thought I would share my list of players I won’t be buying any shares of due to their ADP. So let’s get jiggy with it and get the ball rolling with my Do-Not-Draft list.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

October is here and you know what that means, Dynasty Deep Dive is back to it’s weekly Saturday slot. Razzball Hoops has entered a new era, but for those of you DDD faithful, nothing has changed in what will be another year looking at the rookies, next year’s draft class, and of course my personal favorite, European basketball.

So what have I got for you this week? In a conversation sparked with a fellow basketball fanatic and birthday boy Jay Collins, I thought we’d keep things familiar and take a closer look at our shiny new toys, now that we know where they will call home.

“Best draft class in a decade.” “Multiple future All stars.” “Not seen a draft class like this since 1999.” We have been promised much from this rookie draft class, especially from myself over the past 18 months. Now, we are finally at the doorstep of yet another season and, once again, face those mixed reports on some of the future stars of the NBA. We must properly value these new students of the NBA so that we don’t overpay for them.

This week we will veer off the usual DDD path and delve deep into the murky underground of the unknown to look at how FT% may help, and just as importantly hinder, your roto leagues. Let me put my money where my mouth is and guide you through the Do’s and Don’ts.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

Here we are again, stuck in limbo between the excitement of the NBA draft, free agency, the Summer League, and the start of draft season. Fear not! Son and I will keep you abreast of all that goes down in the world of fantasy basketball.

So what have I got for you this week? Five sophomores that are poised to break out and avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

Welcome back Razzball Nation! Sit back and take a breath from the Kyrie and Melo dramas. Let’s talk about some NBA rookies and the long-term outlook for a couple of potential gems.

Just about every fantasy basketball site, including us, have been drooling over the high-end guards from the most recent draft class, but what about the big men?

This week we will be comparing two of the premier frontcourt talents and breaking down where they may help (and hinder) your dynasty teams moving forward.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

 

The danger in doing rankings before Summer League is that a lot can change in terms of perception. After a slew of Summer League games, we now have a better picture of how the best players that college had to offer match up against their peers.

Keep in mind that the Summer League is filled with players at different levels. Think of NCAA College Basketball as High-A in minor league baseball. Summer League would be akin to Double-A. The Euroleague, not to be confused with domestic European divisions, would be Triple-A.

In addition to the final piece of my post-draft rankings, this post will also include some of the players who have moved up in my rankings after watching Summer League games. Believe me, my evenings have been spent doing little else.

Here are some caveats about my rankings:

  • Only includes rookies from the 2017 draft class. Players such as Ben Simmons and Bogdan Bogdanovic are not included.
  • This is for dynasty purposes. NOT for redraft leagues.
  • Landing spots are important, but the main focal point is the overall projection for the players’ career.
  • It often takes time for NBA prospects to adjust to the NBA. Just because players don’t crack the rotation from the outset doesn’t mean they are a bust. Three years is often a good time frame to define roles in the NBA.
  • This is my own personal rankings, and not representative of all the writers at Razzball

Before I begin, I want to address something @Jordan brought to my attention. My previous rankings omitted Luke Kennard. This was a pure oversight on my part and I’d slot Kennard into the late-teens.

So, here we go for a real deep dive into some candidates that might actually matter more than you think:

Please, blog, may I have some more?