How (NOT) to Build an NBA Keeper League Juggernaut

Welcome to the Route 30 Detour! US Route 30 intersects at I-95 in Philadelphia and goes from coast to coast, including passing through Pittsburgh and the home of Drexel University SMT student and blog contributor, Bryan Fyalkowski (@fyalkowski)...

The following is based on a true story...

Phase 1: Gee, an NBA Keeper league sure sounds swell.

Step 1.1: Join an NBA Keeper league in 2007 with 11 strangers you met on the internet at age 16.

Step 1.2: Create a team and call it "El Supersonics" because it is a hysterically funny Spanish add-on to the nickname of your favorite NBA team.

Step 1.3: Receive 12th overall pick in a snaking draft and watch NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki get swept off the board before you can itch your ass.

Step 1.4: Decide to go with value youth picks and embrace the "keeper" mindset.

Step 1.5: Pick year-before-his-breakout-season Chris Paul in the first round and Josh Smith right after. Round out your roster with rookie Kevin Durant, Emeka Okafor, Danny Granger, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, Jameer Nelson, Rudy Gay, Devin Harris and others.

Phase 2: Trash the "keeper" mindset and make as many trades as possible, while thinking as little about the future as possible.

Step 2.1: Inexplicably drop Devin Harris (24), just because he missed three of the first six games, for Chris Duhon.

Step 2.2: Trade Josh Smith (22) and Emeka Okafor (25) for Marcus Camby (33).

Step 2.3: Trade Chris Paul (22) and Monta Ellis (22) for Allen Iverson (32) and Lamar Odom (28).

Step 2.4: Trade Kevin Durant (19) and Al Harrington (27) for Mo Williams (25) and Marvin Williams (21).

Step 2.5: Trade [the artist formerly known as] Ron Artest (28) for Andris Biedrins (21)

Step 2.6: Rudy Gay (21) for Richard Hamilton (29) and Andre Miller (31)

Step 2.7: Thaddeus Young (19) and Richard Hamilton (29) for Vince Carter (30)

Step 2.8: Jameer Nelson (25) for Monta Ellis (22)

Step 2.9: Finish in 4th place. Name Granger, Iverson, Carter, Camby, Ellis, Williams, Odom and Biedrins as keepers. Could have been Paul, Smith, Durant, Granger, Ellis, Nelson, Gay and Harris without any moves whatsoever.

Phase 3: Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and Marcus Camby are three of your keepers in 2008, but do not worry about it.

Step 3.1: Rename your team "Oakland Zoo" because Pitt basketball is the shit.

Step 3.2: Draft Kevin Love and Jameer Nelson in the first two rounds of the 2008 waiver draft.

Step 3.3: Trade Kevin Love (20) and Allen Iverson (33) for Ray Allen (33).

Step 3.4: Trade Lamar Odom (29) and Mo Williams (25) for Zydrunas Ilgauskas (33) and Ramon Sessions (22).

Step 3.5: Finish in 7th place. Name Granger, Carter, Ellis, Camby, Allen, Biedrins, Nelson and Nate Robinson as keepers. Could have had Kevin Love in the mix.

Phase 4: Make more boneheaded trades to make up for the lack of player movement from last season.

Step 4.1: Choose Tyrus Thomas and Stephen Curry in the first two rounds of the 2009 waiver draft.

Step 4.2: Trade Nate Robinson (25) and Courtney Lee (24) for Russell Westbrook (21).

Step 4.3: Trade Jameer Nelson (27) and Vince Carter (32) for Tony Parker (27) and Wilson Chandler (22).

Step 4.4: Trade Stephen Curry (21) and Ray Allen (34) for OJ Mayo (22).

Step 4.5: Trade Tony Parker (27) for Brandon Jennings (20).

Step 4.6: Trade Brandon Jennings (20) for Manu Ginobili (32).

Step 4.7: Trade Monta Ellis (24), Marcus Camby (35) and Manu Ginobili (32) for Rudy Gay (23), Roy Hibbert (23) and Steve Nash (35).

Step 4.8: Finish in 7th place. Name Granger, Nash, Gay, Westbrook and Mayo as keepers.

Phase 5: What you have been doing has been horrible, try building an actual damn team.

Step 5.1: Have a nearly perfect 2010 waiver draft, including drafting Roy Hibbert, Eric Gordon, Luol Deng, Lamar Odom, Beno Udrih, Spencer Hawes, Mike Dunleavy and Marvin Williams in the first eight rounds.

Step 5.2: Trade Luol Deng (25) for Tyrus Thomas (24).

Step 5.3: Trade Danny Granger (27) and Marvin Williams (24) for Monta Ellis (25).

Step 5.4: Trade Roy Hibbert (24) for Marcus Camby (36) and Nicolas Batum (22).

Step 5.5: Finish in 6th place. Name Ellis, Westbrook, Gay, Gordon and Nash as keepers.

Phase 6: Systematically build a team that can compete, like you should have done five years ago, you freaking idiot.

Step 6.1: Choose Marc Gasol in the first round of the 2011 waiver draft. Also pick good value guys like Tony Allen, Emeka Okafor, Thaddeus Young, Trevor Ariza and Jarret Jack in later rounds.

Step 6.2: Trade Russell Westbrook (23) for Spencer Hawes (23), DJ Augustin (24) and Danny Granger (28).

Step 6.3: Trade DJ Augustin (24), Eric Gordon (23) and Monta Ellis (26) for Paul Pierce (34), Gerald Wallace (29) and Jeff Teague (23).

Step 6.4: Finish in 2nd place. Name Granger, Gasol, Gay, Pierce, Nash, Wallace, Teague and Young as keepers.

Phase 7: Win (maybe).

Step 7.1: Draft Lou Williams, DeAndre Jordan, Nikola Pekovic, Rodney Stuckey and Ed Davis in the first five rounds of the 2012 waiver draft.

Step 7.2: Line up a well-rounded roster.

Phase 8: Profit...

Enjoy your trip back to I-95 and I'll see you next week!

Jeremy Lin and the Rest of NBA Free Agency

The Sixers signed Kwame Brown....

For a while ESPN was constantly talking about where Dwight Howard would go this offseason after once again demanding a trade. Nothing has happened with Dwight, but plenty of other transactions have occurred early on in NBA free agency. The Lakers went out and signed Steve Nash. Although Nash is 38 years old and obviously not in the prime of his career, he has shown that he still has game left. The newly name Brooklyn Nets after landing Joe Johnson via trade were able to sign two of their own. Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace both could have left, but the Nets were able to work out deals with both players. As if the Miami Heat were not good enough..... they snatched Ray Allen away from Boston. Allen turned down a bigger contract with the Celtics to go play with the "Big Three." Other moves included the Knicks bringing in Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. Kidd celebrated by getting a DWI in the Hamptons. Although the offseason has been busy thus far in the NBA, the biggest free agent story may be someone who is yet to sign anywhere, Jeremy Lin.

Everyone knows the impact of Jeremy Lin on the Knicks last season. Although Lin only truly impacted the team for 26 games, he put up statistics that no one could imagine. The result of Jeremy Lin's good play was the start of "Linsanity." Linsanity took over New York City and the rest of the NBA world. Everyone knew that Lin was due for a contract when the season was up, and most assumed it would be significantly more than the $762,195 he made last season. When the Knicks and other teams are considering signing Jeremy Lin, one factor that could be overlooked is his race. Jeremy Lin brings an Asian audience that may present without Lin's presence. The Rockets got a taste of the benefits of having an Asian player with Yao Ming. While Yao was playing for the Houston, the Rockets' value increased by about 100% while the NBA average during this time was 63%. After Yao's retirement, the Rockets' value increased about proportionally to the NBA average. The general manager of the Rockets, Daryl Morey, is known to love statistics so it is not surprising to me that the Rockets' have offered Jeremy Lin a three year contract reportedly worth $25 million. Morey most likely sees the Rockets' having another "Yao effect" if they are able to sign Lin. The Knicks have until midnight tonight to match the offer.


Final Thought


Carmelo Anthony recently said, “It's up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that's out there." I do not see the Knicks matching the offer for two reasons. The first reason is that they now have plenty of depth at the guard position so it is not a current need. The other reason is that the Knicks would have too much money tied up in contracts for future years, which could eliminate them from signing big free agents in future years. I think this is a rare move in which two teams are making good decisions. The Knicks are smart not to throw that money at Jeremy Lin, and the Rockets' are smart for trying to signing him. Also not to mention.... Jeremy Lin is a pretty smart guy.




 @dmrosen7




Sources: NBA.com, ESPN.com, USAtoday.com, LAtimes.com