Wednesday, March 7, 2012

NBA Fantasy Draft

There is always debate as to who is the best player in the league, and people always want to debate who they would take first to build their own "dream team". Do you go with a point guard first? Or do you go with a big man in the middle? Maybe a wing player? There are so many players to pick from each position that it's hard to pick a starting five, but if I had to do so, it would look something like this.
-Point Guard (PG): Chris Paul, LA Clippers, Paul is the best PG in the league, hands down. He's averaging 19.6 PPG, 8.5 APG, and 2.3 SPG and is shooting 44% from three. He is the second best passing PG behind Steve Nash but when he is on his game and playing at the all star level we are so used to seeing, there is no one better. He is the reason why the Clippers are in the position they are. He's the reason why Blake Griffin is an all star and the reason why the Clippers could make a run in the playoffs.
-Shooting Guard (SG): Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers, this one is a no brainer. Bryant is putting up amazing numbers despite having a new coach, a new system, not the best supporting cast and a nagging wrist injury. He's averaging 28.5 PPG (leads the league), 5.0 APG, and 5.5 RPG. Bryant is a very underrated defender as well, he is a 9-time all defensive first team. He is the second best player in the last 20 years and hits the toughest shots in the NBA. If there is 3 seconds left and I'm down 1, I'm putting the ball in number 24's hands.
-Small Forward (SF): LeBron James, Miami Heat, hands down the best player in the NBA. The numbers speak for themselves; 27.7 PGG, 8.2 RPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 STG, and he is shooting an incredible 54% from the field. He is the best at the rim finisher in the and when he gets out in transition either by himself or with Dwayne Wade no one can stop him. LeBron is also great on the defensive end, he is big and very athletic and can guard a quicker point guard. In the 2011 playoff series against Chicago, James would guard Derek Rose who is one of the faster players on the floor. He can also track the ball down in transition and get a play on the ball. Yes there are the people who will say he can't win a title because he can't finish in the fourth quarter but he is on a mission this year to prove everyone wrong and so far he is doing so with the way he is playing.
-Power Forward (PF): Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves, this might come as a surprise to some people, but those are the people who haven't seen Kevin Love play. The kid is going to be a star for years to come. He is a beat on the boards on both ends and can has an inside game and an outside game. He is a tough, big, physical guy at 6'10" 260lbs and has a pretty sweet beard. He's averaging 25.4 PPG (4th in the league), 13.7 RPG (2nd in the league), and is shooting 36% from three which isn't bad for a power forward. Love commands the most double teams in the league, more than Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. Last season he had 55 straight games with a double-double, which is quite impressive going up against guys who might be a little more athletic than you. All-in-all, Love is only going to get better. Watch out.
-Center (C): Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic, this is another easy choice. Standing 6'11" 265lbs, Dwight Howard creates many problems for opposing centers. One of if not the most athletic centers of all time, his size and strength along with his freakish athletic ability makes him the most dominant center in the NBA. Throwing up 20.7 PPG, 15.0 RPG, and 2.2 BPG, Howard has it all. He doesn't shoot free throws well (48%) most centers don't. How is a force on both ends which makes him by far the most dominant big man, and the only true dominant big man in the NBA. There is no argument for who is the most dominant center, Andrew Bynum is the closest one to the argument but he isn't consistent enough. Howard dominates Bynum in their match ups. Dwight has the potential to be a 20-20 type of guy. At the tender age of 26, Howard hasn't hit his prime which is scary. When he does, look out. We could be looking at the most dominant center of all time.

I know I left a lot of guys out who might deserve to be in the starting five, but this is just my opinion. Compare your five and my five and see how it goes.

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