DRAFT ANALYSIS
Based on my (Dave's) rankings of the available 29 draft picks, with the top-ranked player getting 29 points and the worst player getting 1, this is how the teams fared. Ranking points only added if player stays with the team that drafted them. Player cut from team that drafted him and picked up in cut draft by another team is added points-wise to the team he ends up with.
1. With 64 total points...SAN JOSE FIGHTING AMIGOS...picked up two starters in rookies Donny Dupons, the top-rated rookie guard and rookie center St. Ides. Middling rookie forward Tweed Bassman and cut pile draftee Ed Balls also both stuck with the team.
2. With 60 total points...LOS ANGELES BIG ONE...Two of their three picks in the regular part of the draft will start in the Big One's front court for Season 55. Veteran center Chat Bot was one of the most talented players in the draft and rookie forward Big "Blue" Bottle was POG of the rookie game.
3. With 56 total points...CHARLESTON MOUNTAINEERS...Picked up a starter in rookie forward Nick Kenpoop, perhaps the top overall forward in the draft. Got fine backup center in rookie Flatfoot Floogie as insurance for oft-injured Johnny Bananas, and added veteran forward Wawa Wewa for bench strength.
4. With 55 total points...OKLAHOMA CITY LARIATS...Counting two players it got in cut draft, the Lariats came away with four additions to their roster, the biggest being their new starting center, highly-rated rookie 3000, who was kind of a miracle pick. Second-year center Harry Merdaio, a starter last season for Seattle, will back him up. Rookie guard Paul Majewski is a capable shooter but will be No. 4 at his position. Vito Andolini filled out the roster in the cut draft.
5. With 41 total points...SEATTLE STAMPEDE...Big upgrade at center with Chochky Galumpkus taking the spot held by Harry Merdaio last season. The other draftee who stuck is rookie forward Professor Suggon-Deeznuts, who will come off the bench.
6. With 40 total points...GILLETTE HUMPS...Free-agent center Blob Dylan returns to the fold, which was a big relief to the Humps. Rookie guard Wakey Loop adds bench depth.
7. With 34 total points...PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA...Biggest get was two-way guard Splash Gordon, who is coming off his finest season, ranking as third-best guard in the league. He's a major upgrade at the two guard for Phobia. The other two picks will be subs.
8. With 33 total points...MILWAUKEE GREYHOUNDS...All three of their picks will be backups, with exciting rookie guard Rabbit Munchers the best of the three.
9. With 29 total points...SACRAMENTO RIVER DOGS...Rookie center Bing Bong will add more offense at that position than Dave Tesh's 8 points per game. Their prime pick was used to return forward Fish Face Finseca to the team and the starting lineup.
10. With 20 points...DALLAS DEMONS...Defending champions rated as lowest draft class, but they needed less than anyone to begin with. They only got two picks and just one of those stuck with the team. Rookie guard Mini Carfartt joins a talented roster and with the trade of Kofi Luwak, will be a factor this season as the first guard off the bench.
IMPROVEMENTS/REGRESSIONS NOTES
-- No earth-shattering improvements or regressions to speak of.
-- After a fine rookie season, Philly forward Leonard Pinth Garnel improved three times, with the biggest upgrade a deny shot on 6 that fills in the box defensively for him.
-- Second-year San Jose forward Scobee Bryant increases his already potent dribbling ability to an 8, which should add points to his scoring average.
-- Big One got big improvements to two starters. Rookie of the Year and All-MBA guard Pinky Toe will be an improved passer (a 6) from his point guard position, will shoot more from down low where he is already the best at his position in the league, and will rebound more.
Third-year forward Philibuck Davia goes to his third team where he will start for Los Angeles. Two rebounding improvements will help, as will upgrade against the pass, giving him a 3 and probably some steals.
-- Karma Chameleon improved against the pass to a 3, which improves the team's point defense. Second-year forward Mordle Sinn got the rare increase in 3-point shooting tendency, where he makes roughly a third of those bombs.
-- Oklahoma City saw regressions in starters King Czardines, Handsy Joe Potatoe and Hall of Fame forward Crentis Dentist.
-- Although still a young team, powerhouse Dallas did not take advantage of improvement possibilities, with all three front court players standing pat. League MVP and Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn lost some speed, which might have him taking his least effective shot (a 3-pointer) more. Playoff MVP and point gurd Vicious Hick, going into his second season, will come away with more offensive rebounds to improve on his already impressive 3.8 rebounding average of last season.
THE BIG TRADE
After much haggling, the Dallas Demons and Charleston Mountaineers settled on a trade that could have major repurcussions for many seasons.
The Demons traded star guard Kofi Luwak to Charleston for a Mountaineers draft pick that will go to Dallas after every season Luwak completes for Charleston. The details are somewhat complex and we will not go into them here. Suffice to say that Dallas will get a second pick from Charleston next season and a first pick from Charleston every season thereafter for every campaign Luwak stays with Charleston.
Luwak was Rookie of the Year in Season 52 and led the champion Demons in scoring (17.7 ppg). The next season he was All-MBA and led the league in scoring at 18.9 ppg. Last season he was relegated to the bench with the drafting of rookie standout Vicious Hick, who took his place in the starting lineup. Still, Luwak managed to score 7.3 per game and shot his best percentage at 63 percent. He is a welcome addition to Charleston's offense
