The season is finally here. We're one day away from seeing Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant back in action. We're one day away from seeing if any team in the Eastern Conference can match up with LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. And we're one day away from another exciting year in fantasy basketball.
To better prepare you for what to expect come draft day, we gathered some of our top fantasy basketball experts to participate in a mock selection process.
McCormick on George: "Paul George is currently enjoying a usage rate of 32.8 in the preseason, fifth in the league among players to have logged at least 20 minutes and a rate that would translate as third-highest in the NBA against last season's statistical leaders. Over a larger sample, preseason 3-point usage has translated well to regular season play. George is going to let it fly from beyond this year more than ever before, as he's 12th in the preseason with 5.9 attempts per game from 3-point range. George is a dark horse for the top overall spot in my opinion."
McCormick on Griffin: "In a total points league, Griffin's awesome volume is valuable. In this format, double-double machines are the most coveted commodities, or at least should be. This might appear like a reach, given Griffin's downward trend on the glass, but I'll still take his rich usage rate and ability to pile up points in a scoring key catering to his volume output."
Carpenter on Brook Lopez: "What do my past three picks (Carmelo Anthony, Nikola Vucevic, Brook Lopez) have in common? They all sport quality percentages, large usage rates and quality rebound totals. That makes them terrific options in just about any points system. However, since ESPN gives the same weight to an assist (1 point) as a rebound (1 point), players who hit the glass hard can outpace those who dish well. Consider that a tiebreaker if you are choosing between a point guard and big man who have similar values."
Cregan on Dragic: "The first tough pick for me came in Round 5. There's a cluster of middle-tier point guards (Dragic, Brandon Knight, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley) I like, but I took Dragic here. His upside is limited -- Knight and Lawson are a little more "swing for the fences" picks -- but I believe Dragic makes modest improvements over his 2014-15 numbers."
McCormick on Lawson: "Unless we are to assume his numbers from the past two seasons dramatically deflate in Houston, Lawson is underpriced on the market in the sixth round. The past two seasons in Denver, Lawson has averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and a 3-pointer per game. Even if we price in a 20 percent reduction in his output, we are still buying a 14 and 7 point guard on one of the league's better teams.
"The Rockets are currently running the fifth-highest pace in the league at 104.45 possessions per 48 minutes. Houston is leading the league in 3-point attempts with a gaudy 34.6 attempts per game after having led the NBA last season with 32.7 attempts per game, 19 percent more than the Cleveland Cavs, who shot the second most in the league last season. I expect Lawson to attempt more 3-pointers than ever before, adding to his already well-rounded production."
Rosenstein on Batum: "After averaging double-digits in each of the previous five seasons, Batum failed to hit that mark last season. I'm in the camp that sees him getting back on track in 2015-16 with a new group of talented offensive players around him. Batum, especially without MKG around him, will be more of a focal point in Charlotte and could be among the league's biggest breakouts."
Carpenter on Wade: "He is aging and prone to extended absences, which is why you don't want to draft him early any more. But come on...D-Wade still averaged 21.5 PPG, 4.8 APG with quality percentages (48.0 FG percentage, 76.8 FT percentage) last season. He is a ridiculous value at No. 79 and easily worth the health risk at this stage of a head-to-head format."
Rosenstein on Ryan Anderson: "Similar to my Batum pick, I see Anderson getting back on track. I love his ability to stretch the floor as a perimeter scorer, and he has the ability to post up smaller defenders down low. At this point in the draft, he seemed like a smart value selection."
Cregan on Collison: "I love Darren Collison as an endgame pick. He lost his starting job to Rajon Rondo, but his shooting ability should snare him 25-28 MPG, which warrants a late-round pick. He's had a great preseason and there's never any telling how the Rondo experiment shakes out. At worst, he's a good bench player in 10-to-12-team leagues."
