Post by Haberino on Jan 2, 2012 23:34:13 GMT -5
THE BBS TOP 45: 45-30
45. Walt Wesley PF 22 6'11'' 220 B- C D+ A B+ A
Obviously he sims like shit - he isn't even a good rebounder - but the ratings for a second-year player are beautiful. Marty's in his CY and Wesley's not really contributing. He should look into just how valuable this guy. There are some teams looking to lose or get young whose GMs would probably give up a haul for Wesley. I'm not fond of Wesley because his offense, rebounding and shotblocking all need a ton of improvement, but again, the age and ratings combo is hard to ignore.
44. York Larese
SG 29 6'4'' 189 B- A+ C- B+ C B
SG 29 6'4'' 189 B- A+ C- B+ C B
A really nice SG who’s below superstar status because the volume isn’t quite there. The percentages, low turnovers, and rebounding are on par with or better than those of most of the SGs ranked ahead of him, but those guys are all significantly younger and more useful because they take more shots.
43. Don Ohl
SG 31 6'3'' 193 B+ A+ B- C D- D
SG 31 6'3'' 193 B+ A+ B- C D- D
Big Don remains one of the best scorers in the league. Currently doing an absurd 20.5 PPG in 24.4 minutes a night with a triple slash of 53/97/42. And his contract is a gift – he’s going to be underpaid for its entirety. Don’s rebounding is best described as fucking reprehensible, and he’ll continue to lose value as he ages, but he remains a mostly unmatched game-changer on the offensive end. Great job!
42. Rudy LaRusso
C 34 36.6 18.6 10.2 3.8 0.9 3.8 1.5 .462 .782 .000
C 34 36.6 18.6 10.2 3.8 0.9 3.8 1.5 .462 .782 .000
Not the player he once was, Rudy’s now a second-tier scorer and rebounder among bigs. But he also gives you nearly five blocks + steals a night. Still just 30, so you’re going to get a lot of good years out of him, but he’s due to get a massive contract and his best years are behind him, so he barely makes the list. If he were more a focal point to his offense, he might appear considerably higher.
41. Bob Weiss
PG 25 6'2'' 180 C A A A- D+ B
PG 25 6'2'' 180 C A A A- D+ B
A young PG who shoots nice percentages and keeps his turnovers low, Weiss looks to be an exceptional complementary piece. That shouldn’t read like a slight – Weiss just doesn’t look to have a ceiling as the main cog. His rebounding’s a weakness, but the real downfall appears to be his inside scoring. Now that most everyone knows not to value assists, Weiss won’t have remarkable production or value if he can’t become an elite scorer. Even if he can’t, a second-tier PG is very valuable.
40. Willie Somerset
PG 25 5'8'' 170 B- A- B+ B D B
PG 25 5'8'' 170 B- A- B+ B D B
There’s good and bad with Somerset, and he mostly appears on the list on my belief that the good would far outweigh the bad if he were a focal point to Orlando’s offense. The bad: he’s an awful rebounder and probably a terrible positional defender. His turnovers have also been a liability in the past. The good: he’ll probably lead the league in steals most years, and his percentages are amazing. I don’t know if he can score like Shorty Patterson did in his prime, but he’s markedly improved offensively from last year, and he’s proven in the past that he’s willing to take the shots. For now, he’s perfect in his role for the Magic.
39. Phil Jackson
PF 22 6'8'' 220 B C C+ A B A
PF 22 6'8'' 220 B C C+ A B A
Had a really nice TC and his notes said he was ready to start. Could Phil be on the Don Nelson career path? He has, for the most part, the same skillset, but with better midrange and handling. There’s no proof he’ll be a scorer and rebounder worth starting at the 4, but I can’t overlook the ratings and potential here.
38. Cornell Green
SG 27 6'5'' 215 B A A- A- D+ B
SG 27 6'5'' 215 B A A- A- D+ B
Turnover concerns have subsided substantially. Can’t say the same for the rebounding – still kind of putrid. His percentages are astounding, however, especially considering the fact that Green shot just 76% from the stripe a year ago. If he continues at this clip, he’s a viable first option, even with the turnovers. Also a solid stats defender. But I expect the midrange to dip, and there are a lot of similar 2s with fewer flaws.
37. Kevin Loughery
SG 27 6'3'' 199 C+ A+ C+ A- C C
SG 27 6'3'' 199 C+ A+ C+ A- C C
One thing that got really tiresome about doing this list was finding ten different ways to describe the same player. Not a lot of variance among the elite shooting guards, but I have no shortage of things to say about Loughery. Like this: hey, remember when I dealt Skillz this ridiculously good shooting guard for a worse player and people called it a friends trade? LOL. Anyway, Loughery’s doing a cool 45/90/45. Not the same inside scorer as the similarly ranked SGs, but in a favorable system, Loughery’s game has no weaknesses. Still young, and signed for three seasons beyond this one.
36. Dwayne Smith
SF 29 6'6'' 218 B+ A B A C- D
SF 29 6'6'' 218 B+ A B A C- D
Love the contract and ratings, but a lot of perimeter players give you better percentages, and Smith’s rebounding is horrible. He gets the defensive stats and scores in volume, and few guys not on their rookie deals give you better bang for your buck (what a gross expression), so he has a ton of value, but we’re not exactly talking about a superstar here. Note that he’d be ranked way, way higher if he were replicating last season’s performance.
35. Lenny Wilkens
PG 30 6'1'' 184 C A- A- A- C D
PG 30 6'1'' 184 C A- A- A- C D
Seems TCs and upgrades have chipped away at Lenny’s flaws to the point that he’s now a stud. Hard to argue with 21 points on 46/92/46 and 6 rebounds from a PG. Lenny also has his turnovers comfortably on the right side of three per game, and he’s locked up for two seasons after this one. Already 30, Lenny may not be in the top 40 for long – in itself a knock on his present value – but for now, he’s earned his spot.
34. Shorty Patterson
PG 30 5'10'' 162 C+ A A- B+ D C
PG 30 5'10'' 162 C+ A A- B+ D C
A brilliant scoring point guard with high steals and low turnovers, Shorty’s been just slightly underused in a Clippers offense that would benefit if he took a few more shots a night. Some of the league’s best point guards didn’t make this list due to age and contract, but Shorty’s first rate at the position. Rebounding is bad, and he’s aging in his own right, but Shorty gives you incredible shooting and stealing.
33.Bill Russell
C 32 6'9'' 244 B+ C C+ A- A D
Hard to pin Bill’s value, but it’s a relief to stop talking about shooting guards. Looks like Bill’s settled into a reliable 20-12 with 3.5 BPG stat line. Also going to do low turnovers and a steal a night, and his percentages are close to elite for a big. Doubtlessly awesome, but he’s on that gross early 30s contract everyone knows so well, and 32 isn’t exactly when a guy’s value peaks around here. Here’s a tried hypothetical to drive the point home: if you were building for one or two seasons, you’d value Bill much higher than this ranking, but outside that vacuum, age and contract reduces his value a shit ton, which is something I just wanted to say. I like him more than a lot of the rookie deal guys who will appear ahead, and they'll never be as good of players, but the contract age prove too much to rank Bill higher.
32. Elgin Baylor
SF 33 6'5'' 235 A- A B A+ A- C
SF 33 6'5'' 235 A- A B A+ A- C
Still produces about as well as anybody – 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3 BPG+SPG, 48/87/41 – but he’s 33 years old and owed 90 million, including 25.2 million at age 36. Look, that’s not a huge deal – the salary could be a lot higher, and he’s still be plenty good in three seasons. But these are big enough negatives to create the massive disparity between his performance and his value (see also: Purnell Jackson, KC Jones, Bradley Barker).
31. Gus Johnson
SF 29 6'6'' 235 A- C D+ B A- C
SF 29 6'6'' 235 A- C D+ B A- C
(Note: this coming line makes no sense because he appears before, not after, DD, but I'm keeping it) Speaking of Johnny Green lite…What a year for Gus. Also reminds me of David West in his BBS prime. His value might not be this high but for the fact that he’s getting paid like a rookie. 53% FG, 85% FT, nine rebounds from the 3, and less than a turnover a night. Beautiful stuff, Gus.
30. Dave DeBusschere
SF 27 6'6'' 229 A C C- A- A- B
SF 27 6'6'' 229 A C C- A- A- B
Big fan of his game, and I have a feeling he’d be ranked even higher if he were at the 3. For now, he’s a 24/11 big doing 48% FG and 87% FT, and that’s plenty valuable in its own right. A good, not great stats defender, but he keeps really low turnovers. For now, he’s an excellent, unflawed player. Move him to SF and I think he could be Johnny Green lite.
