Rotoworld Expert Mock Draft Results from Sep. 19 Draft
Dr. A hosted a 12-team, H2H snake-draft expert league with nine categories on ESPN for a fantasy-hoops draft on Monday, Sep. 19. Here are the owners, the draft order, and all the results from that draft with some additional commentary.
Round 1
Jonas Nader – Rotoworld – Pick 1 – Kevin Durant SF GSW
Jared Johnson – Rotoworld – Pick 2 – Russell Westbrook PG OKC
Tommy Beer – Rotoworld – Pick 3 – James Harden SG HOU
Steve Alexander – Rotoworld - Pick 4 – Stephen Curry PG GSW
Tom Carpenter – ESPN – Pick 5 – Karl-Anthony Towns C MIN
Rick Kamla – NBA TV – Pick 6 – Chris Paul PG LAC (autopick)
Kyle McKeown – BasketballMonster.com – Pick 7 – Giannis Antetokounmpo G/F MIL
David Klyce – HoopsKlyce.com – Pick 8 – Kawhi Leonard SF SAN
Bogman & Welsh – In This League Podcast – Pick 9 – Anthony Davis F/C NOP
Ryan Knaus – Rotoworld – Pick 10 – DeMarcus Cousins C SAC
Dalton Del Don – Yahoo! – Pick 11 – Paul George F IND
Mike Gallagher – Rotoworld – Pick 12 – Paul Millsap PF ATL
I was thrilled to get Curry at No. 4, was surprised to see Kawhi Leonard drop to No. 8, and think Anthony Davis is going to be a massive steal, if he can stay healthy. And yeah, that’s a huge ‘if’. And I’m all for Giannis going in Round 1, but he’s going to have to have a perfect season to live up to the hype. I hate to say it, but he’s being drafted a little too high, in my opinion.
Round 2
Gallagher – Damian Lillard PG POR
Del Don – LeBron James F CLE
Knaus – Hassan Whiteside C MIA
Bog/Welsh – Al Horford C BOS
Klyce – Kyle Lowry PG TOR
McKeown – Kristaps Porzingis PF NYK
Kamla – John Wall PG WAS (Autopick)
Carpenter – Draymond Green F GSW
Alexander – Victor Oladipo SG OKC
Beer – Eric Bledsoe G PHX
Johnson – Jimmy Butler SG CHI
Nader – Khris Middleton G/F MIL
So LeBron is now a second-round pick in some circles, which is just crazy. But in a playoff league, his missed games are going to be quite painful. Nader wasted a pick on Middleton here, but he was fully healthy at the time of the draft. Now he’s out for a majority of the season with a torn hamstring.
Round 3
Nader – Nikola Jokic C DEN
Johnson – LaMarcus Aldridge F/C SAN
Beer – Kemba Walker PG CHA
Alexander – Myles Turner F/C IND
Carpenter – Kyrie Irving PG CLE
Kamla – Isaiah Thomas PG BOS (Autopick)
McKeown – Andre Drummond C DET
Klyce – Kevin Love PF CLE
Bog/Welsh – Serge Ibaka PF ORL
Knaus – Klay Thompson SG GSW
Del Don – C.J. McCollum SG POR
Gallagher – Rudy Gobert C UTA
I caught some heat for reaching for Turner here, but he wasn’t going to make it back to me and I wanted him. You gotta do what you gotta do. Jokic and Gobert both went in the third and I like all three of those centers this season. Klay before McCollum seems criminal to me, but whatever.
Round 4
Gallagher – Jonas Valanciunas C TOR
Del Don – Derrick Favors F/C UTA
Knaus – Gordon Hayward G/F UTA
Bog/Welsh – Reggie Jackson PG DET
Klyce – Brook Lopez C BRK
McKeown – Goran Dragic PG MIA
Kamla – Nicolas Batum G/F CHA
Carpenter – Blake Griffin PF LAC
Alexander – Trevor Ariza SF HOU
Beer – Marc Gasol C MEM
Johnson – Carmelo Anthony F NYK
Nader – Nikola Vucevic C ORL
I’m a little worried about Brook Lopez’s and Marc Gasol’s feet, Reggie Jackson’s knee and Blake Griffin’s leg, while Dragic seems poised to have a huge season for the Heat. I love my Ariza pick here, while Batum should be primed for another nice season in Charlotte.
Round 5
Nader – Mike Conley PG MEM
Johnson – Gorgui Dieng F/C MIN
Beer – D’Angelo Russell PG LAL
Alexander – Jae Crowder F BOS
Carpenter – Bradley Beal SG WAS
Kamla – Dennis Schroder PG ATL
McKeown – Ricky Rubio PG MIN
Klyce – DeMar DeRozan SG TOR
Bog/Welsh – Marcin Gortat C WAS
Knaus – Tobias Harris F DET
Del Don – Jeff Teague PG IND
Gallagher – Andrew Wiggins SG MIN
I think a majority of the fantasy hoops world is starting to get the sense that Russell is going to blow up this season, while I really like the idea of Teague running of the offense in Indy.
Round 6
Gallagher – Zach LaVine G MIN
Del Don – Nerlens Noel F/C PHI
Knaus – Otto Porter SF WAS
Bog/Welsh – Darren Collison PG SAC
Klyce – Pau Gasol F/C SAN
McKeown – Jeremy Lin PG BKN
Kamla – DeAndre Jordan C LAC
Carpenter – Ben Simmons PF PHI
Alexander – Evan Fournier SG ORL
Beer – Chandler Parsons SF MEM
Johnson – Jordan Clarkson G LAL
Nader – Jabari Parker SF MIL
I think it’s too early for Noel here, as the Sixers still have no idea how they’re going to find minutes for all their big men, while Collison will be suspended for the start of the season. Hopefully he’s good to go after that, but Ty Lawson should be worth owning for the first 10 games or so of the season.
Round 7
Nader – Jusuf Nurkic C DEN
Johnson – Enes Kanter F/C OKC
Beer – Brandon Knight PG PHX
Alexander – Robin Lopez C CHI
Carpenter – Danilo Gallinari SF DEN
Kamla – Dwight Howard C ATL
McKeown – Aaron Gordon F ORL
Klyce – Jrue Holiday PG NOP
Bog/Welsh – Thaddeus Young F IND
Knaus – Rajon Rondo PG CHI
Del Don – Avery Bradley SG BOS
Gallagher – Danny Green SG SAN
I needed a true center here so I took Ro-Lo, Klyce may have been too early on Holiday, who is out indefinitely while caring for his ill wife (brain tumor), and Gallagher is hoping for a Green bounceback. Kamla is obviously punting free throws with the Dwight pick, and I secretly love Kanter this season. I also wish I’d taken Ryan Anderson here instead of Crowder, but it might work out in the end.
Round 8
Gallagher – Nikola Mirotic PF CHI
Del Don – Ryan Anderson PF HOU
Knaus – George Hill PG UTA
Bog/Welsh – Gary Harris SG DEN
Klyce – Greg Monroe F/C MIL
McKeown – Emmanuel Mudiay PG DEN
Kamla – Harrison Barnes F DAL
Carpenter – Elfrid Payton PG ORL
Alexander – Dwyane Wade SG CHI
Beer – Jahlil Okafor C PHI
Johnson – Monta Ellis SG IND
Nader – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG DET
I think Harris is going to have a big year, was thrilled to get Wade this late, have no interest in Okafor or Monta this season, and am sad I didn’t get Ryno.
Round 9
Nader – Kent Bazemore SG ATL
Johnson – Chris Bosh F/C MIA
Beer – Julius Randle PF LAL
Alexander – Dirk Nowitzki PF DAL
Carpenter – Steven Adams C OKC
Kamla – Devin Booker SG PHX
McKeown – Justise Winslow G/F MIA
Klyce – Willie Cauley-Stein F/C SAC
Bog/Welsh – Rudy Gay SF SAC
Knaus – DeMarre Carroll SF TOR
Del Don – Kenneth Faried PF DEN
Gallagher – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson G/F BKN
Jared wasted a pick here on Bosh, I am all in on old guys with Wade and Dirk, while Adams and Cauley-Stein are nice sleeper centers here.
Round 10
Gallagher – Marvin Williams F CHA
Del Don – Wesley Matthews SG DAL
Knaus – Marcus Smart PG BOS
Bog/Welsh – J.J. Redick SG LAC
Klyce – Clint Capela C HOU
McKeown – Rodney Hood SG UTA
Kamla – Mirza Teletovic PF MIL
Carpenter – J.R. Smith SG CLE
Alexander – Jerryd Bayless PG PHI
Beer – Derrick Rose PG NYK
Johnson – Bismack Biyombo C ORL
Nader – Joel Embiid C PHI
I think Bayless is going to have a big year for the Sixers and Beer might have the steal of the draft if Rose can actually stay healthy. He’s feeling good coming into the season, but it’s hard to imagine him not missing at least 20 games. The center pool is getting real thin, so Biyombo made sense for Jared and Embiid made sense for Nader. But I don’t love either of them.
Round 11
Nader – Kris Dunn PG MIN
Johnson – Markieff Morris PF WAS
Beer – Brandon Ingram PF LAL
Alexander – Evan Turner G/F POR
Carpenter – Buddy Hield SG NOP
Kamla – Bobby Portis PF CHI
McKeown – Eric Gordon SG HOU
Klyce – Will Barton SG DEN
Bog/Welsh – Terrence Jones PF NOP
Knaus – Patrick Beverley PG HOU
Del Don – Robert Covington F PHI
Gallagher – Tim Frazier PG NOP
Given that Turner should be starting (and got paid) for the Blazers, I’ll gladly take him here. He doesn’t hit threes, and I don’t care. Covington and Frazier are solid values here, while T Jones looks like a serious sleeper candidate.
Round 12
Gallagher – Seth Curry SG DAL
Del Don – Jared Sullinger F/C TOR
Knaus – Joakim Noah C NYK
Bog/Welsh – Patty Mills PG SAN
Klyce – Lou Williams G LAL
McKeown – T.J. Warren SF PHX
Kamla – Zach Randolph PF MEM
Carpenter – Alex Len C PHX
Alexander – Ersan Ilyasova F OKC
Beer – Michael Carter-Williams PG MIL
Johnson – Tyreke Evans G/F NOP
Nader – Trey Lyles PF UTA
Sullinger was my favorite pick of this round and I think he sees a rebirth in Toronto, while someone has to replace Kevin Durant in OKC. Why not Ilyasova? And if Tony Parker struggles or gets a lot of rest this season, we might finally be on the verge of a Patty Mills breakout.
Round 13
Nader – Stanley Johnson SF DET
Johnson – Thon Maker PF MIL
Beer – Al-Farouq Aminu F POR
Alexander – Timofey Mozgov C LAL
Carpenter – Mario Hezonja SF ORL
Kamla – Deron Williams PG DAL
McKeown – Dario Saric F BKN
Klyce – Allen Crabbe SG POR
Bog/Welsh – Mason Plumlee F/C POR
Knaus – Kyle Korver SG ATL
Del Don - Luol Deng F LAL
Gallagher – Bojan Bogdanovic SG BKN
Centers are tough to come by late and Mozgov should be starting for the Lakers. Saric and Bogdanovic are great ways to spend a 13th-round pick, along with Crabbe and Aminu. Good stuff.
