Today's Poll

by Ben. on Oct 16, 2008 11:26 AM PDT

ESPN The Mag printed their "Top 100" fantasy basketball picks in this week's mag, which apparently was the top 100 out of this Top 190.

Brandon was at 42, Greg was at 65, and LaMarcus was at 66.

For some comparison, the top 10...

LBJ, CP3, Kobe, Amare, D Wade, Nash, Dirk, Josh Smith, KG, D Williams.

Around Brandon...

40. Ron Artest
41. J Kidd
42. Brandon
43. Gerald Wallace
44. Mike Dunleavy
45. Lamar Odom

Around Greg and LaMarcus...

61. Andrew Bogut
62. Ray Allen
63. Tony Parker
64. Mike Bibby
65. Greg
66. LaMarcus
67. Brad Miller
68. Corey Maggette

The question for today.... Now that the season is just around the corner, and we've gotten looks at all 3 guys, how did ESPN screw up when ranking our players?

Vote and explain your reasoning!

Poll

ESPN was wrong when they made their top 100 list because...

Brandon was too low!

368 votes

Brandon was too high!

33 votes

Greg was too low!

48 votes

Greg was too high!

52 votes

LaMarcus was too low!

357 votes

LaMarcus was too high!

20 votes

ESPN got all 3 just about right.

104 votes

ESPN is always right.

45 votes

1027 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 46 comments

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Comments

Tony Parker is too low :)

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 16, 2008 11:31 AM PDT 0 recs

Are you serious? At this point of his career, what does J-Kidd have to offer? He has seriously crippled the Mavs franchise, and he’s nowhere near the kind of player he used to be. He’ll get worse this year while Roy will get better if G.O. stays healthy. This list is garbage (except for my boy at #1, but you can probably already tell where my loyalties lie).

by Amar from Cavalier Attitude on Oct 16, 2008 11:34 AM PDT 0 recs

Keep in mind folks, this is FANTASY BASKETBALL.

NOT REAL BASKETBALL.

It is based on STATISTICS. And not even all statistics. For example, if a player dishes 15 assists but gives up 10 turnovers, the turnovers do not affect the fantasy value of the player. Simmons’ rant about Andrei Kirilenko as a fantasy pick is a perfect example of the difference between actual value and fantasy value.

Chances are decent that Kidd will put up better fantasy numbers than Brandon. This does not mean that Kidd is a better player or that Kidd has a bigger positive impact on his team. It just means that he put up good numbers.

This said, this is exactly why I voted that Oden is ranked too high. I think he will have a great year and have a fantastic impact on our team, and that he will probably be ROY. However, I think his most of his value will come from intangibles that aren’t captured in the statistics. He will be a force down low. He will command a double team. He will make guards think twice about driving into the paint. He will open up scoring opportunities for LaMarcus (not to mention Roy, Web, Rudy). He will embarrass Andrew Bynum.

That doesn’t mean he’s a good fantasy pick.

As a result I also think LaMarcus is too low (and as I am typing this mxpx just said the same thing).

Word.

by joelor on Oct 16, 2008 11:42 AM PDT up 0 recs

Many fantasy leagues

DO count turnovers and negative stats. Often, well set up fantasy leagues do reflect real life value in many ways. There are some players (especially wing defenders) that are ranked too low.

Sergio has a knack for making passes that lead to layups and dunks, for both teams. - Ben G.

by jamon51 on Oct 16, 2008 12:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

OK, but this list

is definitely catered toward a specific type of fantasy league which is pushed by ESPN (keep in mind this is an ESPN article). I would imagine that, if you recalculated, you would get a very different list in a lot of ways.

Word.

by joelor on Oct 16, 2008 2:33 PM PDT up 0 recs

agreed

you beat me to the punch. brandon is awesome and much better than a lot of those players, but at the same time he doesnt put up those godly type numbers that they do as well.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 16, 2008 2:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah I was about to get really pissed off that Josh Smith was even considered top 10. But in fantasy, he’s a God because he can play 3 positions as SG, SF, PF.

by dyshooter182 on Oct 16, 2008 5:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

Kidd is overrated.

Kidd isn’t that great anymore. He is getting on in years, and has had health issues. Dallas paid too much for him, and wasn’t better off for it.

by CanadianBlazerfan on Oct 17, 2008 7:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

LA

Lamarcus is seriously way too low on that list, I think he is going to surprise a lot of people this year with his production. It can not be said too many times just how much Greg Oden is going to help his game.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Oct 16, 2008 11:41 AM PDT 0 recs

I think a lot of fantasy experts think LMA will do worse with Oden

in terms of fantasy value of PFs, they may be right. I could see LMA get 20 points a game this year, but his rebounding and blocking could go down, and that’s a big problem for a PF in fantasy.

"It was halfway through the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, a 30 point blowout, and I absolutely did not want it to end. Time: move slower so this moment stretches.

Dunk Parade.

Forever."

-Ben

"...our second unit is probably going to be a little better than your second unit…and by "probably going to be a little better than" I mean "is going to crush like a dump truck running over an empty beer can""

"YOU MOVE NOW! GREG DUNK BIG!"

-Dave

by Magnum on Oct 16, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

.......

…..mike dunleavy? ugh

Bring back headbands!

by Sabonis4Ever on Oct 16, 2008 11:44 AM PDT 1 recs

I was thinking the same thing.

I like the Oregon boys, but he is way too high.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Oct 16, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up 0 recs

I've read in a couple o' places

that Roy is a guy who has been kept low on lists because of injuries. At the same time, a lot of experts say this is the last time you’ll be able to get Roy outside of the 2nd round and he’s a great value.

SPEAKING OF FANTASY BASKETBALL

I created an Blazers’ Edge league, but only 3 people have joined so far! And I’m one of them. So, if you are interested in a BE league send me an e-mail and I’ll send you an invitation.
xcrunningfool@hotmail.com

The league is a 10 team, H2H, ESPN, standard settings (pts, rebs, blks, steals, assists, FG, FT and 3pts). We draft on Saturday, but that can be moved back until the league fills up.

"It was halfway through the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, a 30 point blowout, and I absolutely did not want it to end. Time: move slower so this moment stretches.

Dunk Parade.

Forever."

-Ben

"YOU MOVE NOW! GREG DUNK BIG!"

-Dave

by Magnum on Oct 16, 2008 11:50 AM PDT 0 recs

5 spots left

All experience levels welcome!

"It was halfway through the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, a 30 point blowout, and I absolutely did not want it to end. Time: move slower so this moment stretches.

Dunk Parade.

Forever."

-Ben

"YOU MOVE NOW! GREG DUNK BIG!"

-Dave

by Magnum on Oct 16, 2008 12:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

1 spot left in the Blazers Edge league

not to be constantly pimping my leagues or anything, but if you miss the boat on the last open spot, I have a team I’m doing with my father and brother (both 1st time fantasy basketball players) called Blazer Fans. Beginners are preferred in that league (for the sake of my relatives), but all are welcome.

http://games.espn.go.com/fba/leaguesetup/st/ownerinfo?leagueId=47761

this is has all the same settings as the previous league, minus the keeper option and league manager. There are 7 spots left in that league; it’s public, so just follow the link and you should be able to join.

"It was halfway through the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, a 30 point blowout, and I absolutely did not want it to end. Time: move slower so this moment stretches.

Dunk Parade.

Forever."

-Ben

"YOU MOVE NOW! GREG DUNK BIG!"

-Dave

by Magnum on Oct 16, 2008 5:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

There should be an option...

… that says ESPN is ALWAYS wrong.

by postup on Oct 16, 2008 12:41 PM PDT 1 recs

I trust ESPN as far as I can throw it

and with my back I shouldn’t be throwing anything

# 10 Top Charles Barkley Quote: On the Portland Trail Blazers (back when they were known as the Jail Blazers) serving Thanksgiving meals: "In between arrests they do community service."

by BlazermaniacAndy on Oct 16, 2008 1:01 PM PDT up 2 recs

+1 for Ferris Bueller reference

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Oct 16, 2008 4:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

I am Not Going To Be Biased

Even though brandon roy is great player, fantasy Bball is all about stats and Roy is not that.

by bowdown on Oct 16, 2008 1:08 PM PDT 0 recs

You are so right

Brandon is all about the Blazers winning games regardless of what his personal stats look like (although his stats are pretty good too) – and he is darn good at it.

LMA>LA! LMA is da MAN!
LaMazing! LaMarkable! LaMarvelous! LaMagnificent! LaMonster!
This is your year LMA – this is your year!
LMA's reign as "LaMonster of the Low Post" has just begun!
Chris Morrisette - Trailblazer Troubadour Extraordinair!
"LMA was easily the best player on the court. Good thing he’s on our team, since we obviously have no one that can guard him." - Engineering Problem

by LaMarvelous on Oct 16, 2008 7:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Oden will be in the league's top 5 in the following stats

Blocks , FG % , Rebounding, FT attempted. That is as long as he doesn’t lead the league in fouls.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Oct 16, 2008 1:11 PM PDT 0 recs

folks this is fantasy

and these predictions are right on.

Roy doesn’t get you that many 3s or steals (those are huge in fantasy) and fantasy owners want to see LA hit the boards harder.

Oden might be too low, but really who knows about Greg?

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Oct 16, 2008 1:12 PM PDT 0 recs

Yeah

I bet they are going off last yearish and just throwing Greg in. Greg should make everyone better. He might not make him better though. I don’t have a problem with the numbers.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision and a poet's heart.

by tominhawaii on Oct 16, 2008 1:39 PM PDT 0 recs

ESPN factors in injury concerns

and apparently they think that every Blazer is injury prone and will miss tons of time this season. Of course that is why I think most of our guys will be bargains later in the draft

by SalemORguy on Oct 16, 2008 1:46 PM PDT 0 recs

As jksnake says, it is fantasy.

I’m not into playing fantasy leagues, so the ranking is not worth commenting on.

What i’d be curious about is if they did a ranking of players by GM’s coaches and even the players themselves, as in “Pick the four gus you’d like on your team the most”.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Oct 16, 2008 3:14 PM PDT 0 recs

So why are you commenting?

The most amazing thing about my amazing ego is I have amazingly little about which to be egotistical.
The pick and roll this year will emphasize "roll" followed by "dunk", followed by the wailings and lamentations of your women.

by jscot on Oct 17, 2008 1:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

So I could ask my question.

Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Oct 17, 2008 11:59 AM PDT up 0 recs

Fantasy rankings are worth nada ... zero ... zilch ... zippo!

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2008 3:32 PM PDT 1 recs

I voted that ESPN got it right

mainly because they are talking about FANTASY basketball (which doesn’t matter a bit in the W-L column). It’s also the reason that Z-bo makes a much better pick for your fantasy team than your actual team.

by Montavilla Steve on Oct 16, 2008 3:37 PM PDT 0 recs

Fantasy is all about individual production...

…and the Trail Blazers are all about team balance.

Lebron, D-Wade and CP3 are ranked so high because they have less than stellar production on the court with them and have to do more as individuals. BRoy, Oden, LA, & co. will be spreading the ball around a lot, looking for the best shot rather than going to one guy every-time down the court (I’m talking to you Kobe).

More team balance = Less Fantasy BB All-stars = More team success.

by cic on Oct 16, 2008 4:01 PM PDT 0 recs

Well, yes and no.

The example work much better for Lebron and Wade than it does for CP3. In fact, having other good players on the floor (as the Hornets definitely do) makes CP3’s stats better, mainly because of his assist strength. If he had worse teammates, they would finish less and he would have fewer assists.

Word.

by joelor on Oct 16, 2008 4:10 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yes and no

CP3 drops dimes that even Steven Hill could finish (no offense Mr. Hill, but you are “that guy” on the Blazers squad these days).

Put Manute Bol on Chris Pauls’ team and he averages 25pts/gm… with at least 5 no-jump dunks every night

by cic on Oct 16, 2008 4:21 PM PDT up 0 recs

To take in consideration...

Those rating are based on stats only, and it doesn’t reflect properly how good is a player. I mean, Zach Randolph could be a good player for a fantasy, but he’s horrible for a franchise. This ranking does not reflect how good is a player, it just reflect how does his stats fix with the rules of the fantasy. Look at Hollinger’s PER. Ginobili is the best SG (even ahead Bryant) just because he plays less minutes than Kobe and others SG. Although Ginobili is one of the best SG, he is not THE BEST. This ranking is based on some arbitrary rules, and, according those rules, maybe all of them are in the right position, but it means nothing. It’s just a game

by Bend3r on Oct 16, 2008 4:07 PM PDT 0 recs

Yes people, enough with the "fantasy is based on stats posts."

Sheesh, sometimes I feel like no one reads the comments…

Word.

by joelor on Oct 16, 2008 4:11 PM PDT 0 recs

heheheheehehehe...hahahahahha... hohohohohoho

The people who actually READ the comments that people post here are the crazy ones.

I stick to what Dave and Ben write..

That said, Dave is losing points for associating himself with that dope that does the 955 morning show.

Some jokester is probably going to say, “HEY, YOU READ THE COMMENTS!!!111”

Salient point (THORPE STYLE!) grasshopper! I’m here cause I lost a bet. Unlucky me.

by Bandwagon Butcher on Oct 16, 2008 4:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

If they don't read the comments...

they won’t read yours saying “enough”, either.

by jscot on Oct 17, 2008 1:21 AM PDT up 0 recs

I agree, we don’t need to defend out players for not being fantasy studs. I think the ratings are pretty right on, I even think LMA might be a little high.

More overall team production= lower fantasy ratings for our players.

by jessenumber1 on Oct 16, 2008 4:56 PM PDT 0 recs

I prefer the term fantasy sluts.

Word.

by joelor on Oct 16, 2008 5:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Roy too high meaning high in number

Roy should be around 14 on this list not at 42.

by koyote on Oct 16, 2008 5:38 PM PDT 0 recs

Oden ranked much too high

If he can stay healthy. i’m seeing him becoming a 16/9/2(blocks) player for his career right now. with that said, he’ll probably be an 11/8/1.3-1.7 guy this year.

I think we’re seeing greg’s body fully maturing right before our eyes. he’s (filling out) as they say. take away his weight lifting and injuries and you still have a kid becoming a man and an evolving body.

he’ll regain his cardio. and yes, he’ll be more powerful – but does anyone here really believe he’ll recapture the speed and agility he had pre ’08?

when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.

by Net Ranger on Oct 16, 2008 6:21 PM PDT 0 recs

Amare looks pretty quick

"It was halfway through the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, a 30 point blowout, and I absolutely did not want it to end. Time: move slower so this moment stretches.

Dunk Parade.

Forever."

-Ben

"YOU MOVE NOW! GREG DUNK BIG!"

-Dave

by Magnum on Oct 16, 2008 6:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

Were he 30 years old, maybe not.

But he’s 20. So yes, I think he will get back to that level. Then surpass it.

By the end of this season, Oden’s numbers are going to be a closer to what you list as his career average, than they will be to your prediction for this year. Career wise, if he doesn’t blow your number out of the water, it will be because of a series of injuries.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Oct 17, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up 0 recs