So that whole writing a draft diary thing totally has yet to happen for my hockey draft, but I’m not giving up on it yet. Maybe I’ll get it done sometime. Meanwhile, here is running commentary & my IM conversation with my friend Amy F (who is also in my league) during our NBA draft this weekend. [I am selflessamy, she is one in A MYlion. Amy F’s roommate Leanne is also drafting in our league.]
FANTASY NBA DRAFT PLAY-BY-PLAY
For the third year in a row, none of us land anywhere near the top in draft order. I’m never going to get KG.
selflessamy: we got screwed on draft order again
one in A MYlion: seriously? where?
selflessamy: I'm 8
selflessamy: you & Leanne are last
one in A MYlion: damn
selflessamy: I don't understand!
one in A MYlion: neither do i
selflessamy: how come we NEVER get above 5
one in A MYlion: *sigh*
one in A MYlion: haha
selflessamy: not ONCE
selflessamy: we draft EVERY YEAR
selflessamy: multiple times
selflessamy: in every sport
one in A MYlion: hm...well at least that means I'll get to draft a few times in arow
selflessamy: that's true
selflessamy: I hope there are some stupid people in our league
8 is actually a really unfortunate position to be in b/c you’re not low enough to draft two consecutive really good but not elite players, but you’re also not high enough to get someone really good. Whoever you get is going to be flawed. The five players on my list within my range are TD, AI, Elton Brand, AK-47 & Kobe.
selflessamy: what am I going to do if Kobe is there at 8? I HATE Kobe
one in A MYlion: I'm taking Kobe
selflessamy: hehe
one in A MYlion: AI has some knee problems
one in A MYlion: Kobe is Kobe
one in A MYlion: and TD can't shoot free throws
selflessamy: I am hoping either Wade or T-Mac drops, but more likely Kobe or AI will be there
selflessamy: Brand? AK47?
selflessamy: too high?
one in A MYlion: tooo high for brand
one in A MYlion: about right for AK
selflessamy: is he healthy?
one in A MYlion: yeah
one in A MYlion: i haven't heard anything
one in A MYlion: i would be wary of AI and TMac if you're worried about injuries
selflessamy: if T-Mac's there, I'm taking him
one in A MYlion: you can't not take TMac at 8
selflessamy: but if it's bwn AI & AK, I think I might go w/AK
Last year I ran 2 teams & finished 5th & 3rd. I’m only running one team this year b/c I’m also running hockey & football pick-em, so I gotta not F up the draft this year.
selflessamy: I am determined to get a good PG this year
selflessamy: I got screwed last yr
one in A MYlion: who'd you get last year?
selflessamy: Terry in one league, Kidd in the other
selflessamy: *stabs self in eyeball*
one in A MYlion: hm....that's not bad
selflessamy: no, it really was
one in A MYlion: I mean they both are pretty high this year
selflessamy: yeah, this year
selflessamy: remember, Terry didn't start until 20 games into the season
one in A MYlion: oh yeah
selflessamy: Kidd was hurt until Dec
one in A MYlion: miserable
selflessamy: arggggggggghh
Last year, we both had Zach Randolph on one of our teams, so misguided we were by his potential & brand new contract extension. He is now one of my personal sworn enemies, along with the Yankees & Sadaam Hussein.
selflessamy: these lists all have Z Randolph too high
selflessamy: I want to send a memo out
one in A MYlion: i hate him
selflessamy: STAY AWAY
Ok & we are underway. KG, LeBron & T-Mac go quickly.
selflessamy: so much for tmac falling
one in A MYlion: haha
Kobe goes way too high at 4 & Marion, Dirk & Wade all go by the time it gets to me. Good God, what to do. It seems too early for AK47 & Brand. I like AI, but am terrified by the injury history. It looks like the Robot, TD.
selflessamy: WHOO
selflessamy: omg someone took Nash in the first round AGAIN!!
one in A MYlion: yeah...i don't get it
one in A MYlion: who's he throwing the ball to?
Leanne makes an interesting & probably ill-fated decision to take Baron Davis with her first pick & Amy follows with Arenas & AK47 with her back-to-back picks. Solid. In the second round coming back around to me, I’d really like to take an elite PG (Marbury?). Stunningly, Leanne takes Kidd, the sixth PG on my list, with her second pick. I don’t know whether to be overjoyed or suspicious she knows something I don’t.
selflessamy: wow, Kidd's already gone?
one in A MYlion: yeah leanne took him
selflessamy: wow
one in A MYlion: and baron
selflessamy: tell her good luck
one in A MYlion: I'm not sure what to think
one in A MYlion: at least she's loaded at PG
selflessamy: well, he'll be throwing to VC all yr
one in A MYlion: and Jefferson
Brand is miraculously still around when it gets back to me, so I happily snatch him up. Always feels good when one of the guys you considered in the previous round falls to you later on.
So we settle in for the long wait for the picks to come back around to us when, suddenly, out of no where, the Idiot Fantasy Move of the Day falls into our laps.
selflessamy: omg
one in A MYlion: omg
one in A MYlion: amare
selflessamy: ARE YOU KIDDING
selflessamy: THANK YOU, GOD
Amare Stoudamire, out at least 4 months & possibly longer w/knee surgery & who may never again have the explosion that made him so dominant. Second round pick. Oh, it is GLORIOUS.
selflessamy: i really should take a guard this round
one in A MYlion: seems early for hughes
selflessamy: Bibby is my next highest PG ranked & I hate him
one in A MYlion: billups?
selflessamy: in the third round?
one in A MYlion: yeah...it's early for him
one in A MYlion: but he's the next one on my list
selflessamy: Maggette????
one in A MYlion: artest?
selflessamy: maybe
one in A MYlion: i mean....he has solid numbers
selflessamy: I might have to do it
selflessamy: what are the chances he'll attack fans 2 yrs in a row, right?
Unfortunately Artest is snatched up with the pick before mine & so I am forced to go w/the safe pick, Maggette. Amy makes back-to-back solid young guy picks, Bosh & Dwight Howard. Meanwhile I’m back in the position I seem to be in every year, where I HAVE to take a point guard now, but all the elite ones are already gone & the second tier ones don’t seem worthy of such a high pick.
On my PG list, Wade, AI, Marbury, Arenas, Davis, Nash, Kidd, & Francis are all already gone. Remaining acceptable #1 PGs are Billups, Terry & Bibby, & I am not crazy about any of them. Luckily, Billups is there so I take him.
Between the fourth & fifth round, we have officially hit Odom range. A couple of mid-level guys go, Gasol (who I had & hated having 2 years ago), K-Mart (who was a major second round disappointment for me last year) & Sam Cassell way, way too high.
selflessamy: I remember when I used to be so high on Michael Redd
one in A MYlion: haha
selflessamy: then I realized all he could do is score
one in A MYlion: nothing but points
selflessamy: damn, I wanted Jamison
one in A MYlion: he's really just a 3 cat guy though
selflessamy: I think I'm still looking at him in my Mavs-rose-colored glasses of adoration
one in A MYlion: haha
one in A MYlion: well he was a really nice guy
As it circles back to me, I am still on Odom-watch & I realize, dear God, he’s going to get to me. I take him hesitantly, even though his whole “I’m going to sit out like the last 6 weeks of the season b/c playing with Kobe defeats me” attitude is worrisome. And you know, he hasn’t gotten arrested for pot in almost TWO YEARS! That has to be some kind of record with him.
Meanwhile, Amy F is forced to take Kurt Thomas.
one in A MYlion: omg....it's krt thomas time
selflessamy: he's a good bet this yr
selflessamy: no amare until like next march
one in A MYlion: yeah
selflessamy: heh, it still doesn't feel good, does it
selflessamy: I REFUSE TO TAKE ZACH RANDOLPH
one in A MYlion: haha
one in A MYlion: terry is available....
selflessamy: I know
I love Terry in real life, I do, but he was a major fantasy black hole last season. He didn’t even start until six weeks into the season & was not a consistent scorer b/c Don Nelson wanted him to pass more. Still, lacking options, I take him as my second PG.
selflessamy: what the hell. Avery says he's going to shoot more this yr
one in A MYlion: haha
selflessamy: at least I didn't take Zach Randolph
one in A MYlion: true
Hitting the seventh round, we start hitting the fantasy junk pile. Someone takes sometime-waiver-wire-contributor Morris Peterson too high. I start panicking for a backup center. Okur is next highest on my list, followed by Dalembert & hilariously, Raef LaFrentz. Someone takes Dampier, prompting me to waste several minutes of valuable scrutiny time b/c I’m laughing too hard with delight.
Okur goes before it gets to me. Refusing to take Dalembert, who I sometimes had off waivers last year, this high, I take the first of my sleeper picks, slam dunk contest superstud/shot-blocking guard Josh Smith. Even I know it is too high for him.
selflessamy: ...who is Raymond Felton?
one in A MYlion: no clue
one in A MYlion: whoa white chocolate is still available
selflessamy: he's in MIAMI
one in A MYlion: I mean....how hard is it to dish to wade and shaq?
We were both screwed by Jason Williams, aka White Chocolate, last season & I still hold a grudge. I helps that he is stuck in Miami this season where he has to share shots & playing time with Shaq, Dwayne Wade & the mother of all ball hogs, Antoine Walker.
selflessamy: Q-Rich?
one in A MYlion: wow...he's still available!?!?!?
selflessamy: he's in NY now
one in A MYlion: oh yeah
one in A MYlion: ....where good players go to die
Leanne eventually ended up with a pretty good team, but this is where she made back-to-back highly questionable decisions. First she picked up White Chocolate, then…
selflessamy: OMG! she took Walker!!!
selflessamy: AHAHAHAHA!!!!
one in A MYlion: ....
one in A MYlion: damn
one in A MYlion: wow
selflessamy: greatness!
Now totally in sleeper mode, I mostly confidently take Al Jefferson & Eddie Griffin & then realized I was running out of options.
selflessamy: *whispers* Chris Mihm?
one in A MYlion: no!
selflessamy: ok, just making sure
Amy’s in trouble too & we’re both researching frantically.
one in A MYlion: radmanovic?
selflessamy: maybe
one in A MYlion: that was painful
selflessamy: whoa, foot problems!!
one in A MYlion: damn!
I realize too late that the picks between Amy’s Radmonovic pick & my next pick closed faster than I thought & I was suddenly on the clock without a pick ready to go…again. This happens to me at least once every live draft, it’s like a curse or something. Freaking out with time running out, I take the last PG left on my list, waiver wire wonder Brevin Knight.
selflessamy: ok, panic pick
selflessamy: that was a bad idea
one in A MYlion: haha
Scraping the bottom of the barrel, people like Mike Finley (whose only job this year will be shooting off the bench) & Doug Christie (the Mavs’ new defensive specialist) go off the board, & then, with the very last pick of the draft…
selflessamy: AHH! You got KVH!
one in A MYlion: yeah....
one in A MYlion: i didn't know what else to do
selflessamy: AHAHA!
selflessamy: greatness!
Ta-da. Draft over. My team, as it stands (I have a waiver request in to unload Knight for my sleeper favorite Zaza Pachulia):
PG: Billups/Terry/James/Knight
SG: Maggette/J Smith/Griffin
SF: Odom/Dunleavy
PF: Brand/A Jefferson
C: TD/Dalembert
selflessamy: I am so happy about my Eddie Griffin pick now
one in A MYlion: i though bosh was center eligable
selflessamy: me too, what happened there?
one in A MYlion: i have no idea!?!?!?
selflessamy: guess he didn't play enough games
one in A MYlion: jerk
selflessamy: yeah, you tell him
selflessamy: I hope I don't get screwed by my PGs
selflessamy: 2 scoring PGs again
one in A MYlion: who are they again?
selflessamy: Billups & Terry
selflessamy: I'll be lucky not to finish last in assists
one in A MYlion: haha
one in A MYlion: dammit....leanne's team looks awesome
selflessamy: she got Josh Howard? jealousy
one in A MYlion: i know! and wallace
one in A MYlion: i love wallace
selflessamy: at least she got White Chocolate
one in A MYlion: haha
selflessamy: AND ANTOINE WALKER
one in A MYlion: haha!Labels: amy f, draft diary, fantasy basketball
