After re-ranking the top 10, top 20, and top 50, it’s easy to see there’s been big changes since last May. Below are the Razzball Updated Rankings with the previous May rankings in parentheses before the adjusted rank:
(68) ↑ 51. Derrick Favors – Utah declining to bring back either Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap gives you a slight inclination on their thoughts on Favors, and they’re already talking contract extension with their emerging big as well. I love his athleticism, and if I miss out on Serge Ibaka who I’m high on early, I’m gonna want to reach on Favors to win blocks. I think he’ll be a top-5 NBA swatter.
(51) 52. Kemba Walker – Kemba has been higher on virtually every rankings I’ve seen, and I’m just not top-50 high on him. He had a really solid season last year, but the terrible FG% still worries me as I feel like he forces some offense. The acquisition of Big Al is going to give the Bobcats/soon-to-be Hornets an actual scorer down, and I don’t think that translates into helping Kemba all that much. I like Gerald Henderson a lot too to take a bigger scoring role. The 2.0 steals a game last year was elite, but I see those going down along with the scoring, and a comparable 5.7:2.4 Ast:TO ratio. All that spells a slightly down ranking for me. Although to be fair, he’s played in every single Bobcats game in his career, so there’s that reliability that can’t be ignored.
(15) ↓ 53. Brook Lopez – My biggest sinker, I went from hoping to get Brook on all teams in my May rankings to not wanting to touch him this year. It’s a blend of the big trade bringing in Paul Pierce and KG – I think they will really limit his offensive output – and the lingering foot injury that went deeper through the Summer than previously thought. I think the rebounds stay about the same, fewer blocks and fewer points than last year, and he plays less than 30 minutes a game when it’s all said and done as he sees a lot of bench late in Nets blowouts. Avoid.
(66) ↑ 54. Monta Ellis – The move to Dallas I think hurts his scoring a tad, but he was a top-50 player last year and should be solid again in 13-14. Excited to see him play with Dirk.
(52) 55. Greg Monroe – Monroe seems to have very polarizing ranks, but in the mid-50’s is about where I’d want to get him. The good is the overhauled roster gives Monroe the best talent he’s had around him and he’s increased his assists in his first three seasons; the bad is a falling FG% and FT% last year and way too many turnovers at 2.9 a game. I’m fine with him here, but not reaching for him.
(N/A) ↑ 56. Trey Burke – Speaking of reaching, I’m going to be reaching hard for Burke, who I think can have a Damian Lillard-lite rookie season. I know the Summer League performance was absolutely dreadful, but he’s been working out early with his teammates and still will be put in the driver’s seat in the Jazz offense. The FG% and TOs will be a bugaboo, and while my projections on him in my sleeper article were a bit too bold, I still think he can be a 16/7 kind of player. Worth the upside.
(54) 57. Tobias Harris – My boyfriend from last season, Harris was dominant during stretches in the second half last year, and will be starting for the Magic out of the gate at PF with Big Baby still a baby. Even when Davis returns, I think Harris starts at either the 3 or 4, and with the rest of the Magic actually healthy, I think Harris will still be able to produce with semi-talent around him.
(55) 58. Chandler Parsons – I love Parsons, and even Dwight credited him as a big reason he landed in Houston. I think Parsons has another great year – contributor across the board, he does it all.
(43) ↓ 59. Paul Pierce – I just don’t like the move to Brooklyn, I think the Nets are indeed one of the best teams in the East and that will mean a lot of bench in blowouts. Still a solid player, but not one I’d reach for.
(53) 60. George Hill – Another solid guy I like around here but won’t reach for, Hill is as steady as it’ll come with a very marginal ceiling unless Paul George got hurt.
(77) ↑ 61. Eric Bledsoe – Very variable in his rank, I think Bledsoe is a solid sleeper for me, but I’m not going to go nuts for him like his Yahoo rank at 46. On the flip side, ESPN has him at 106. Love the move to the Suns, he and Dragic should be one of the most exciting backcourts in the NBA, and we’ve seen what Bledsoe can do with the minutes.
(57) 62. Ryan Anderson – Love the out of position threes, even with the new faces (new beaks?) the Pelicans have brought in, he should be about what he was last year. Let’s just hope the horrible tragedy he went through over the Summer doesn’t affect his game.
(60) 63. Klay Thompson – I’m probably lower on him than most rankings, and it mostly goes to my ThrAGNOF strategy or piling up threes with streamers. Of course in FAAB or limited moves leagues I’d take him a few spots higher, but the drought he had late last year really hurt teams in the playoff push and he was borderline droppable in February to early March. I don’t like guys who have shooting slumps completely derail their fantasy value.
(61) 64. Goran Dragic – Was a bit of a disappointment last year, but was still a solid player. Like the upside of he and Bledsoe running a fast-paced offense.
(64) 65. David West – Delivering across all categories, West thrived in his second year with the Pacers. Think he does it again in 13-14.
(65) 66. Zach Randolph – Back-to-back safe PF picks, Randolph is still a dub-dub machine with a reliable price tag in the 7th round.
(67) 67. DeMar DeRozan – I’m still very high on DeRozan, and as I mentioned in my previous ranks, DeRozan actually averaged 1.5 more Pts and 0.5 more Asts after the All-Star break once Gay arrived – plus shot 3% better from the field and 2% better from deep. I really like the Raptors this year, and DeRozan is still a big-time sleeper for me. Reports from Coach Dwane Casey indicate DeMar DeRozan has vastly improved his 3-point shooting this offseason as well. Love him.
(69) 68. Gerald Henderson – Back-to-back sleepers I have ranked high, Henderson I think thrives this season after flashing huge potential with a 18.9/4.0/3.4/1.0/0.6 second half line.
(84) ↑ 69. Thaddeus Young – A mix of probably being a tad too low to begin with, then with an offense that will literally have no one to score after trading away Jrue Holiday, Big Thad is going to have to get buckets. While I’m still not particularly high on him, sheer volume will make him worthwhile in the 7th-8th round range.
(48) ↓ 70. Rajon Rondo – There’s a multitude of factors sinking Rondo for me – obviously the recovery from the ACL tear is the main reason (still no timetable to return) – then there’s the entirely new-look Celtics offense that will have no reason to rush Rondo onto the court in a rebuilding season. I completely understand if you want to take that risk in the 50s, but I’m passing on Rondo this year in most drafts.
(78) 71. O.J. Mayo – Likely to get a huge opportunity as the lead scorer, Mayo should see a nice uptick in points in Milwaukee.
(58) ↓ 72. Bradley Beal – The delay in Beal’s recovery from a fibula injury has me a little worried, not specifically for that injury but he only played 56 games last year and I’m not ready to pay full price for him yet this season. Tons of upside, but big downside as well.
(83) ↑ 73. Luol Deng – I’ve never been a huge Deng fan mainly because I’m a Tarheel, but allegiances aside, Deng had another solid year last season. In my previous ranks, Deng was still dealing with the mysetery illness issues and since it was determined it was complications from a spinal tap and he’s fully healthy now, I’m not worried. Contract year, playing alongside an MVP again, I have to buy Deng if he’s available here.
(N/A) ↑ 74. Jose Calderon – To be honest, I probably still should have had Calderon ranked as a Piston, but the move to Dallas will surround him with the most offensive talent he’s probably ever played with. If you’re lacking in assists through the first five-to-six rounds, I could see nabbing him earlier than here as well.
(32) ↓ 75. Greivis Vasquez – In retrospect I had him way overranked as it was, and the move to Sacramento further cements my thoughts that he shouldn’t be drafted before this spot. I was overrating his assists and thought he was closer to a 6 a game boarder as opposed to 4.0, and there’s still a little uncertainty with how his role will shake out if he even does make opening night recovering from an ankle injury. I was high on him and Isaiah Thomas when they were apart (Thomas even drops out of the top 100 for me), but I’m not touching either early in drafts anymore.
(72) 76. Andre Iguodala – Won’t be anything flashy, but a safe and reliable producer on another fast-paced team moving to GS.
(70) 77. Jimmy Butler – I’m surprised at how low I’ve seen Butler in a lot of rankings, as he’s assured a starting 2 role on the Bulls next to Rose and Deng. Butler was huge on an injury plagued Bulls team late last year, with across the board fantasy goodness – particularly steals (his 5-steal game on March 31 won me steals by a single point sending me to a H2H championship) – in the last two months of the season. Think he’ll be an underrated multi-cat contributor this year.
(76) 78. J.R. Smith – I’ve never been a big Smith fan, a big factor was years ago in NBA 2K something my friend was playing as the Nuggets and he somehow threw up a through-the-legs dunk over somebody actually playing defense in the middle of the game in a half-court set. He sat there and watched replays for 30 straight minutes. I had to leave the room, if you know what I mean. Anyway, besides that ridiculous animation they put together because someone hit square, Smith is a great scorer but doesn’t do enough of anything else to have me picking him before this spot. Doesn’t help he’s coming off a knee injury and was smoking medicinal marijuana for the pain.
(75) 79. Kyle Lowry – Health is always the biggest concern for Lowry, but as you can see with my Valanciunas and DeRozan ranks, I’m all in on the Raptors. Lowry should thrive in the facilitator role, but you’ve gotta build in some games missed lowering him to here.
(87) 80. Gordon Hayward – Love the big step up in 3PT% and 3PTM last year, and with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Mo Williams all departing, he and Trey Burke will be relied on for consistent scoring. Increases in minutes, steals, and assists as the season wore on, along with a decrease in turnovers, has me seeing Hayward a solid draft day value.
(82) 81. Marcin Gortat – It was a disappointing 12-13 for the Polish Hammer, but he’s still got the skills and has a very exciting back court playing in front of him. Think he bounces back. Love the Ten Foot Pole this year.
(92) ↑ 82. Tyreke Evans – I probably had him a bit too low in my prior ranks, and while I’m still not very bullish on him, the change of scenery to NO and a possible 6th man role – it may all end up working out for Evans to contribute.
(N/A) ↑ 83. Danny Green – It’s easy to overlook just how good a multi-cat season Green had last year – I always tend to downgrade three point production due to ThrAGNOF! – but Green adding 3 boards, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and almost a block a game are going to really help your numbers.
(N/A) ↑ 84. Enes Kanter – I would’ve previously ranked Kanter if I knew both of Millsap and Jefferson were leaving Utah, as I thought they’d keep one and pair them with Favors. Instead it’s Kanter paired with Favors in what will be a dynamic, young front court.
(74) 85. Wilson Chandler – When Chandler started/got big minutes he had some really fantastic games, and with Danilo Gallinari not expected back until probably February of next year, I think Chandler breaks out more than people imagine. At this value, he’ll end up on a lot of my teams.
(N/A) ↑ 86. Brandon Knight – There is obvious risk here, but I think Knight’s raw talent will find a place as the starting 1 in Milwaukee, and with a line-up around him of Mayo, Ilyasova and Sanders, it will surround Knight with better talent than in Detroit. I’d take the risk of the upside here.
(80) 87. Kenneth Faried – I love the Manimal, love watching him play, but he doesn’t do enough across all cats for me to want to pick him before here. The steal and block a game are nice, and there is a little upside with the Denver regime change, but not a guy I’m reaching for.
(88) 88. Jeremy Lin – I’m not really going to reach for him, but I buy he can duplicate what he did last year. Despite not living up to the hype, he still was a fantasy producer and you know you’re going to get solid steals.
(89) 89. Wesley Matthews – I know he had a great year last season, but had a bad ankle injury (I was actually watching that game) that had him missing the last 13 games, and had elbow surgery in the offseason as well. With the additions of C.J. McCollum and Mo Williams also looking at some time at the 2, I don’t see any way Matthews plays close to 35:00 minutes a night like we saw last year. There’s still value, but I probably won’t end up with him on many teams.
(N/A) ↑ 90. JaVale McGee – Pshhheewww, the ranking on McGee is going to be very divisive, but the upside is obviously there. George Karl was reportedly fired in part due to his reluctance to play McGee, and new coach Brian Shaw is giving McGee the starting gig and I gotta think he plays more than 30 minutes a game as opposed to 18 minutes per last year. He’s going to flash some mid-range as well, the blocks and boards should be there, worth the gamble around here.
(N/A) ↑ 91. Victor Oladipo – The only other rookie in my top 100, I think it’s encouraging that the Magic are saying they’re going to play him at both guard spots, meaning he won’t be entirely stuck behind the logjam of Arron Afflalo. It may be a bit of slow sailing early on, but Afflalo is one of the most likely guys to be traded around the deadline meaning VO could have a big second half.
(90) 92. Carlos Boozer – As I said in my previous ranks, Boozer is not one of my favorite players, but he has for some reason plummeted down a lot of rankings I’ve seen. Despite his age he’s only missed three games the past two years, and with Rose back I see his FG% going back above 50 like it usually has been. Won’t give you any blocks for a big, but the scoring, boards and percentages I think will be fine.
(79) ↓ 93. Andre Drummond – I’m just not a huge Drummond fan, and despite the raw talent, I don’t think that necessarily translates into fantasy goodness on the new-look Pistons. The points, boards and blocks should all be usable, but I think we see more Greg Monroe/J Smoove 4/5 minutes than people expect. Plus the 37.1 FT% is just – yeah.
(91) 94. Raymond Felton – Well on his way to a really nice season, a broken hand derailed his value. Even when he returned he wasn’t nearly who we saw in a great November and December. He’ll still be driving the keys to the high-powered Knicks offense, but I don’t know if he plays 34 minutes a night again with the acquisition of Beno Udrih who I think is actually a really nice fit for that team.
(92) 95. Andrew Bogut – The lengthy injury history is concerning, but when he’s on the court he’s multi-cat gold. He says he’s healthy and he expects to play a lot of minutes this season, but one can only expect so much.
(N/A) ↑ 96. Steve Nash – A guy I’m probably not ending up with on any teams, Nash does have that outside shot of staying healthy enough to play in enough games to help your team. No Dwight should help open things up a tad, and if he can recover from lingering nerve damage in his leg, could really produce. But at 39-years young and what we saw last year, I’m not reaching for it.
(99) 97. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – I’m probably reaching for him a tad, but it’s easy to forget MKG was the youngest player in the NBA last year on an atrocious team. With Big Al now at the 5, they move up a peg to a pretty bad team and I see MKG upping his minutes to at least over 30 a night increasing from the 26 we saw last year. He can board, block and steal, and I think will develop into a better scorer as well. I think he will be undervalued as an under-the-radar, multi-cat player.
(100) 98. Jamal Crawford – Obviously a one-trick pony, he’s still a fantastic scorer and with the Clip only bringing in J.J. Redick to replace some of the points departing in free agency, I think Crawford can duplicate what we saw last year.
(N/A) ↑ 99. Spencer Hawes – I’ve never really been a big Hawes fan, but someone has to score alongside big Big Thad for the Sixers, and I don’t think the answer is Evan Turner. The more I’m looking at what he brings you I think he’s actually a little underrated, giving you scoring, boards and blocks and a handful of out of position 3s. He may lose some PT when Nerlens Noel is ready, but the Sixers will have no reason to rush their future back. Hawes should be playing over 30 minutes a night early on as opposed to the 27 a game we saw last year.
(N/A) ↑ 100. Tyson Chandler – Despite disappearing at times, Chandler still had a really productive 12-13 when he was on the court. I’m not necessarily buying a repeat of last season, but he’s still got just enough value to crack the final spot in my top 100.
Dropped Out: Isaiah Thomas, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Glen Davis, Joe Johnson, Eric Gordon, Omer Asik, Kevin Garnett, J.J. Hickson, Jameer Nelson, Mo Williams
Look for a consolidated list of the top 100 in an easy-to-use cheat sheet, along with the next 100 ranked for our Razzball’s top 200. Comments on who was left out? Guys you think too high? Let us know below!
