Each Teams Underrated Asset
Aug 2, 2017 14:28:43 GMT -5
Yacob (freelance idiot), Philadelphia 76ers (Chris), and 6 more like this
Post by Toronto Raptors (Perk) on Aug 2, 2017 14:28:43 GMT -5
Went alphabetically and got mad tired towards the end from piping my boo Leslie Jones so stick with me and take a looksie.
76ers: DeAngelo Russell
You ever remember the first time a parent or parent figure gave you the keys to the car to take it for a spin? The feeling of absolute joy, excitement, a little bit of nerves, it all finally has come. Now imagine that car only had 3 wheels, smelled like rotten eggs and was missing the driver-side door. Would you still drive the car?
Russell has inherited the keys to the Nets, whether or not he wanted them. He’s going to get more than enough minutes on a team that doesn’t need to lose games, but needs to play their young guys to develop a core, and showcase more veteran-like players to boost their trade value. I anticipate him starting, and putting up the most meaningless stats ever. But not in a bad way. He needed a change of scenery. He was capable of big games in LA, but the stage was too big, and the Kobe retirement tour and Swaggy P snitch maneuver seemed to get in his head. Maybe not worthy of a #2 overall pick, his role may change slightly in Brooklyn, and while it is a pipe dream for the Nets to make the playoffs, Jeremy Lin is going to try to inspire the players around him to want to win. They have a decent young coach who needs to form a bond with some of the younger players on the team if he wants to stick around for the years the Nets improve (or until they trade all their young talent for a meaningless shot at Blake Griffin). This is the most underrated asset on the 76ers though; everyone expects him to play big minutes, but I expect him to actually make significant improvements as a player in his time in Brooklyn.
Bucks: OG Anunoby
This nigga fell HARD in the draft. He wears short shorts, so what? Actin like you never seen a man hang 10 out his draws? Please. OG gonna pummel some niggas. This was my target had I kept my pick at 17 this year, but I’m glad there was an owner who appreciated him enough to grab him late. He was underappreciated in the draft, but I will say he is very underrated because of the opportunity he’ll have in Toronto. Toronto will not be a competitor in a few years. As Lowry ages, they’ll trade Derozan to get some assets. They’ll focus on their young players. OG fits the bill, and while he may see time behind CJ Miles and Norman Powell and the like, it is probably for the better that he doesn’t play big minutes year 1 as he recovers from surgery. He’ll hone his game and ultimately turn into a mobile 4 (the way the league is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to go the Draymond Green / Al-Farouq Aminu route of development). He is PHYSICAL. That will always have a place in the league, take it from your boy Perk. Bucks got a steal, at a very controllable price. People know what the Bucks have in Zinger and Giannis, and they know Crowder and Harris produce at a cheap contract, but watch out for a real OG.
Bulls: Cody Zeller
Look, we all know James Johnson locked up for 4 more years a 1.25 million is a steal given the way he’s played. I also love the 5-year minimum on Sullinger, a guy who may very well find himself back in the league next season if he can make it through a year internationally without breaking his foot from being a fat little pig. When you talk about an underrated asset though, it is Cody Zeller. He ain’t flashy, he has Dwight Howard in front of him, and he is a Zeller which automatically makes him look bad. “He’s the best Zeller in the league” doesn’t hold much weight. But he’s locked up for 4 years, which is 3 years longer than Dwight Howard will be in town. Frank Kaminsky is just kind of an oaf with a 3 ball, but Zeller gives you the roll guy on a pick and roll. The Hornets will develop a few pick and roll oriented plays for Howard, which Zeller will be able run as well when he’s in the game instead. If Batum and Kemba passed a few his way last year, that will carry over to this year. Also, if Zeller ever gets traded or signs elsewhere, perhaps to a more pass-happy system, he could thrive.
He’s too expensive for his current role, but that’s where people balk and say he’s not worth it. Well, that’s what makes him an underrated asset. Let’s see if Dwight plays 82 games this year. Let’s see if Dwight is on the team next year. If Kaminsky/Zeller doesn’t work as a 4/5, which I’m not convinced it does either, let’s see Charlotte trade him to a place like Houston, Portland, Atlanta or Utah, just to name a few places. Coming off the bench, Cody Zeller could earn 20+ minutes in the right situation. But he’s also (1) Dwight Howard moment away from getting a lot of minutes in a potential lost-cause season.
Cavaliers: Jeff Green
Towards the end of last season when I complemented the Cavs in a personal message for a wonderful young core, he got salty and said “well don’t think I’m giving away one to you” or something snippy like that. Fuck you nigga!! I’d run train on your shit. Perk gives you a compliment you say “thank you suh” and bounce along on your merry fuckin way.
The most overrated asset may be his own 2018 first. Just because he has young talent doesn’t mean they won’t get burn and put up some decent fantasy numbers (Murray, Poetl, Luwawu, Hield, Leaf, Baldwin, etc.) He also has Jokic and Irving. Not gonna be a great pick.
All his prospects are rated pretty fairly, I can’t come out here and act like Hield is underrated or some shit. That’d be like some ESPN analyst saying “a sneaky pick to win the championship may be the Warriors or the Cavs”. The underrated asset of the bunch may have to be Jeff Green. Jeff Green has sank pretty low in the eyes of many, but with the likes of Jefferson, Shumpert and Frye (who plays some stretch 5 anyways), Green has an opportunity to be the 4th or 5th scorer on a line with LeBron James and pass the above mentioned 3 in the depth chart. The fast breaks with Green on the Cavs getting outlet passes from LeBron and Love will be beneficial, and he’ll be asked to handle it less and spot up for more corner threes, which he used to be great with. I predict Green will return to his Boston days once the wins start coming in (he’ll never be OKC Green again). He’s also 1 million for two more years, which was pretty decent for last year’s Jeff Green.
Celtics: Terry Rozier
T-Roz is backing up a star PG with a busted hip. Isaiah may or may not be having surgery this season; it sounds like he won’t need it, but all it takes is an aggravation or a Perkins screen to set you back. Smart may be asked to play some SG this year, as well as some PG, but Rozier is likely to see minutes as a backup PG (Shane Larkin is quietly entering the picture but probably won’t make the team if Isaiah is healthy for training camp). Rozier is cheap, and under contract for next season also, when Smart may walk in Free Agency (or Isaiah if Boston doesn’t max him). Next season at 3 million will be a very productive year for Rozier, and if he gets traded by then, he’ll probably get more minutes. Year 1 was quiet, year 2 he improved a lot but still was pretty quiet, I expect him to keep getting better. One of the best rebounding guards in the league, he has worked on his 3-point shot and has much needed NBA quickness. Don’t be shocked if he worked on his passing this offseason.
Clippers: Tony Snell
This muthafucka ugly as a muthafucka. 5 million a year for 5 years though? Pretty good deal for a player who has yet to show his full potential. Not sure what type of team is best for Snell, but dude is a good shooter with good height. The Bucks certainly need shooting to roll out with Giannis, so I think he’ll be in Milwaukee for awhile, unless they decide to package a few players for a superstar in a year or two. Snell is an under-the-radar type player, so he fits the bill of being underrated. The commitment to go 5 years on Snell was absolutely the right thing to do at that price as well.
Grizzlies: QUINCY MUTHAFUCKIN ACY NIIIIIIIGGGGG
Nah just don’t forget about Lance Stephenson. Interesting to see how invested the Pacers are in his services, but he’s a guy who you often forget about when looking at other contracts like Cauley-Stein, Ferrell, Favors, and of course the trio of Paul/Booker/George.
Hawks: 2019 first round pick
The Hawks are in an interesting position. My guess is they re-sign DeAndre, but if there is a bidding war for his services, or if a trade is made, Lowry could also be traded for young players and suddenly the 2019 pick could be the best in the league. Not a bad option for a top-heavy cash strapped team that will have to choose between Jordan at 20 million or so (at a position with a lot of production) and Aldridge who may be a bit cheaper. I like a few of the contracts on the Hawks, and the runner up for me may have been Jon Leuer, but I can see this playing out a few different ways, and Atlanta holds the cards.
Heat: Cap Space
The Heat 2018 1st rounder and 2019 1st rounder are fantastic assets, and pairing that with 30+ million in cap space is a recipe for future success. Giles, Swanigan, Nader, Fox, Maker, just a bunch of young players on cheap contracts that could be pretty decent to pretty good. Luol Deng is a blemish but could just be dropped if needed. The real head scratcher is Ben McLemore. Like I know this is a post on underrated assets, but what the fuck is up with McLemore at 10 million for 4 years? Anyways the cap space narrowly edges out the two firsts that are bound to be near the top of the draft.
Hornets: Emmanuel Mudiay
So much young talent on this team, just have to pair that talent with a few stars to build a long-term contender. That cap space is nuts. If you read this hoping for an asset to maybe target via trade, I would say Emmanuel Mudiay is pretty underrated. Just because he has only 2 years left on the contract and is in and out of the Nuggets plans at PG doesn’t mean he won’t find his niche somewhere in the league. Athletic point guard with good height, at an affordable rate for a few years. If you use a re-sign on him, you may be able to get him cheap if he doesn’t get traded before then. Then he could go to another team that will use him and you have a controllable point guard for a long time.
Jazz: TJ
TJ is underrated. Dwayne Wade can suck the fattest part of my dong, but since retirement is a free drop, the 3 year contract suddenly might not look so bad for a contender hoping that he plays at least half the regular season.
Kings: Patrick Beverly
So PB averaged 26 fantasy points last year. That’s pretty great for your backup pointguard to Dragic. A change of scenery will likely give him more of a chance to run an offense, although I don’t think that’s really what Beverly is about. Spacing will be harder to come by on the Clippers, which may hurt his abilities, but defensively he won’t slow down. I expect him to average about 25 with the Clippers the next two seasons, which makes him a very valuable fantasy player. Look forward to the Clippers/Lakers matchups, Beverly is going to be Ball’s rival for the first year of his career.
Knicks: Jalil Okafor
This guy just needs another team. Post scoring isn’t dead, his problem is his shitty pick and roll defense. With the potential to go for double doubles on another team, this guy is probably the most underrated asset on the Knicks. But if he punches one more Boston fan Ima take action and end this nigga.
Lakers: Taurean Prince
Not many people know much about this guy, but he’s a big part of the Hawks future and you could tell by the way he finished out his year. I’m not sure what sort of fantasy production he’ll have down the line, but a cheap young player on a rebuilding team will at the very least get an ass ton of minutes as we’ve seen. Chriss, Dunn and Embiid are pretty household names when it comes to young players with potential, but don’t sleep on Prince. Also, don’t sleep with Prince. That’d be gay AF.
Magic: Enes Kanter
He’s a lot of money, without question, but he’ll produce this year. On an expiring contract, he isn’t a bad grab, and because he is so much money, people may not be looking at him as an asset. I’d argue that an expiring deal is valuable, it is just a matter of being able to afford him. Just don’t hit me with that “oh my goodness how can you not say Tatum or Turner” nonsense because bitch I ain’t listening they ain’t underrated. Also Zipser may never be more relevant than the next year so enjoy the ride with him as you can, Portis and Markkanen are likely to eat a lot of his playing time.
Mavericks: Kevin Durant
This is tough because there isn’t really a lot of underrated players on the Mavs. Maybe Felicio potentially but I chose Durant because he’s locked up at 26 million for 4 years, which is close to what guys like McCollum/Derozan make in our league, and cheaper than guys like Conley and LeBron. Not an underrated player, I just think that extra 4 million or so in savings helps put another piece into a contending team. Also if Hawks blow it up as I was hinting at earlier the Mavs have the 2nd round pick.
Nuggets: Nikola Vucevic
This guy is frail. He’s cheap, but frail. If he puts together a full season or even like 68 games, you’re talking about a stud fantasy player. I would love to see Vuc. on another team, just to see how he plays with a contender, but he is a very underrated asset with an interesting back story. Also his wife is tall, so he probably gets sex on the reg, which is secretly a fantasy asset as players who can’t get their nut off often don’t sleep well and aren’t as focused on basketball.
Nets: Donovan Mitchell
He fell pretty far in the draft, and the Nets traded to draft him. He’ll fit in with Utah’s future plans and is another piece to a large pool of prospects that the Nets currently have. I still don’t know if I’d call Mitchell an underrated asset, Valentine is kind of underrated as well, but the Nets have a bright future and pretty much any one of his young players can be the one that takes his franchise to the next level.
Pacers: Andre Drummond
He is a very good center for fantasy, even if he has pretty much reached his ceiling. Would I have ever traded Draymond for him straight up? Not even close, are you fucking kidding me with that shit? (not the Pacers at the time). Andre is expensive and not a flashy real-life player, so he often gets overlooked for fantasy, but you could do a lot worse at center. You could also do a lot better (Kendrick Perkins).
Pelicans: Josh Richardson
Anigbogu reminds me of a little me, so I was tempted, but I’m stickin with J-Rich. He’s been traded a few times in our league going off memory, so I’m under the impression people want to get rid of him, but there is certainly question marks around him. Refer to this article that is by no means a picture of Dramond’s dick:
www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-blog/fl-sp-miami-heat-ask-ira-josh-richardson-s080217-story.html
As you can see, his real-life value is as a fringe starter. As a SG in our fantasy league, he isn’t a starter by any means, but he’s also going to be much cheaper to re-sign if the Pelicans want him. Could be a young piece that any team could probably get on the cheap. Also the Pels own their own 2018 first. Watch out.
Pistons: (Who currently have 13 players on the roster?
?) Darren Collison
This dude has quietly been pretty solid in Sacramento. He shoots the most on the line 3-pt turned 2-pt shots out of anyone I know, maybe Rudy Gay also but just needs to step back a half inch to get more points. He’ll run wild with the Pacers, and I think was a great value at 13 million. I think Detroit wins it all this year, unless he gets shafted for having 13 players.
Also, there is a glitch I’ve witnessed in 2K, my buddy plays with Kuzminskis and drops like 30 a game with that ugly ass mop-headed muthafucka.
Also also seriously does this MF have 13 players?
Raptors: Kendrick Perkins
2nd place is Ron Baker. Ramon Sessions is a shitty veteran that will take a few minutes from Baker but when it is all said and done, the Knicks by firing Phil Jackson have committed to their young players. Zinger, Hernangomez, Ntilinka. Also Ron Baker. They inked him for a few more years guaranteed to see what the guy is made of. He pesters like Beverly and Delly (full court get in your face 48 minute type pester). He has worked a lot on his jump shot this offseason, which is his glaring hole, but he’ll get a lot of minutes this season and hopefully can develop the jumper to make this Wichita St fella into a good player. I wanted to say Bertans but I’ll give it to Baker.
Rockets: Ersan Ilyasova
Rockets GM was dealt a team with pretty much 4 max players and had to make it work. The team is in a pretty good place at this juncture, with a little youth sprinkled in with a couple max players and veterans. It’s easy to forget about Ersan, and he often lacks consistency, but this is a stretch 4 that hits 3’s and often gets rebounds with the best of them. Perhaps more valuable when there were more traditional power forwards to guard, he will still find a role with whatever team he goes to, and he’ll always have the green light to fire away from deep. Also his wife has the red light because THAT PROSTITUTE IS FINE AS HELL HOLY SHIT BOYS.
Spurs: Marvin Williams
I’m really not the biggest stretch 4 fan, but Williams is going to have a very important role if the Hornets are serious about keeping Dwight Howard. Although expensive, Williams is underrated as a player who is actually often a difference maker in close games for Charlotte. The Spurs have a bit more talent with big guys than they do guards, but this team has a nice mix of vets and youth, and after 2 seasons there will be an ability to spend on free agents or make some trades the season before to rebuild. Expect Marvin Williams to put up 20+ fantasy points this year (I have no idea what he did last year my ESPN link is permanently fucked so I assume he was close to this number last year).
Suns: Klay Thompson
I know he scores low, but he is a very serviceable shooting guard that isn’t going to decline any time soon. A few owners may OVER-rate Klay due to his allstar status IRL, but he’s capable of big nights for fantasy. Naturally, his involvement as a fantasy player took a hit with the arrival of Durant, but he is by no means a bad player to have as your starting SG. He can rebound, hit threes, make a high percentage of free throws, and pass decently. His contract isn’t even that atrocious, he’s making Wesley Matthews money without being Wesley Matthews. I don’t know enough about Tyus Jones to blab about him but he may be a 2nd place candidate.
Thunder: The Big-Big 3
Besides getting away with cheating last year, Loren has 3 young centers that may very well turn into 2 if he decides to trade one of them (guessing he keeps Collins). Each one has a different NBA skillset but will produce around the rate of a high-quality backup center. Olynyk may play the 4 in some lineups next to whiteside, we know Dieng plays it next to Towns, and I won’t be shocked to see Collins play some 4 ball also. The multi-position eligibility is just icing on the cake.
I had to throw shade at that one, Loren’s hardly the only one. Fight me bitches.
Timberwolves: Sean Kilpatrick
Boys I’m fuckin gassed here so maybe my explanations won’t quite be there but Kilpatrick has pretty good fantasy potential and has shown it at times. I think he’s an underrated asset because he could be re-signed using the .6 X fantasy points formula and be relatively cheap going forward. I’m not sure what teams would be best for him but I don’t imagine him being in Brooklyn for much longer.
Trailblazers: Chieck Diallo
CHIECKMATE NIGGA
Warriors: Wilson Chandler
People forget what Chandler is made of. Playing on and off with injuries and filling in for Gallinari and playing small 4 and playing big 3 and playing in China and on and on and on. He’s got game. At 12 million, he’s a very valuable piece. With Gallo out of town, he’s got Hernangomez as a backup but I can’t see him get less than 30 minutes a game. With Caleb likely to always look for deals to be made, keep an eye on Chandler’s availability moving forward.
Wizards: Timofey Mozgov
His real life contract is such shit. Which maybe Brooklyn will buy out, but I’m guessing they try to showcase him for a year or 2 as the starting center in hopes that he’ll be tradeable. Even if they then realize he’s not that good, he would have already fleeced them for 25+ minutes a game, which is FANTASTIC for fantasy basketball at .25 million a year. Worst case scenario he’s a free drop.
Also he made the most legendary commercial ever, which adds to how underrated he is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqiJOPXpksc
I don’t know man like 3 of you are gonna read this shit but let’s get some activity up in this garbage. Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments. You better not disagree though cause I’ll bust you.
76ers: DeAngelo Russell
You ever remember the first time a parent or parent figure gave you the keys to the car to take it for a spin? The feeling of absolute joy, excitement, a little bit of nerves, it all finally has come. Now imagine that car only had 3 wheels, smelled like rotten eggs and was missing the driver-side door. Would you still drive the car?
Russell has inherited the keys to the Nets, whether or not he wanted them. He’s going to get more than enough minutes on a team that doesn’t need to lose games, but needs to play their young guys to develop a core, and showcase more veteran-like players to boost their trade value. I anticipate him starting, and putting up the most meaningless stats ever. But not in a bad way. He needed a change of scenery. He was capable of big games in LA, but the stage was too big, and the Kobe retirement tour and Swaggy P snitch maneuver seemed to get in his head. Maybe not worthy of a #2 overall pick, his role may change slightly in Brooklyn, and while it is a pipe dream for the Nets to make the playoffs, Jeremy Lin is going to try to inspire the players around him to want to win. They have a decent young coach who needs to form a bond with some of the younger players on the team if he wants to stick around for the years the Nets improve (or until they trade all their young talent for a meaningless shot at Blake Griffin). This is the most underrated asset on the 76ers though; everyone expects him to play big minutes, but I expect him to actually make significant improvements as a player in his time in Brooklyn.
Bucks: OG Anunoby
This nigga fell HARD in the draft. He wears short shorts, so what? Actin like you never seen a man hang 10 out his draws? Please. OG gonna pummel some niggas. This was my target had I kept my pick at 17 this year, but I’m glad there was an owner who appreciated him enough to grab him late. He was underappreciated in the draft, but I will say he is very underrated because of the opportunity he’ll have in Toronto. Toronto will not be a competitor in a few years. As Lowry ages, they’ll trade Derozan to get some assets. They’ll focus on their young players. OG fits the bill, and while he may see time behind CJ Miles and Norman Powell and the like, it is probably for the better that he doesn’t play big minutes year 1 as he recovers from surgery. He’ll hone his game and ultimately turn into a mobile 4 (the way the league is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to go the Draymond Green / Al-Farouq Aminu route of development). He is PHYSICAL. That will always have a place in the league, take it from your boy Perk. Bucks got a steal, at a very controllable price. People know what the Bucks have in Zinger and Giannis, and they know Crowder and Harris produce at a cheap contract, but watch out for a real OG.
Bulls: Cody Zeller
Look, we all know James Johnson locked up for 4 more years a 1.25 million is a steal given the way he’s played. I also love the 5-year minimum on Sullinger, a guy who may very well find himself back in the league next season if he can make it through a year internationally without breaking his foot from being a fat little pig. When you talk about an underrated asset though, it is Cody Zeller. He ain’t flashy, he has Dwight Howard in front of him, and he is a Zeller which automatically makes him look bad. “He’s the best Zeller in the league” doesn’t hold much weight. But he’s locked up for 4 years, which is 3 years longer than Dwight Howard will be in town. Frank Kaminsky is just kind of an oaf with a 3 ball, but Zeller gives you the roll guy on a pick and roll. The Hornets will develop a few pick and roll oriented plays for Howard, which Zeller will be able run as well when he’s in the game instead. If Batum and Kemba passed a few his way last year, that will carry over to this year. Also, if Zeller ever gets traded or signs elsewhere, perhaps to a more pass-happy system, he could thrive.
He’s too expensive for his current role, but that’s where people balk and say he’s not worth it. Well, that’s what makes him an underrated asset. Let’s see if Dwight plays 82 games this year. Let’s see if Dwight is on the team next year. If Kaminsky/Zeller doesn’t work as a 4/5, which I’m not convinced it does either, let’s see Charlotte trade him to a place like Houston, Portland, Atlanta or Utah, just to name a few places. Coming off the bench, Cody Zeller could earn 20+ minutes in the right situation. But he’s also (1) Dwight Howard moment away from getting a lot of minutes in a potential lost-cause season.
Cavaliers: Jeff Green
Towards the end of last season when I complemented the Cavs in a personal message for a wonderful young core, he got salty and said “well don’t think I’m giving away one to you” or something snippy like that. Fuck you nigga!! I’d run train on your shit. Perk gives you a compliment you say “thank you suh” and bounce along on your merry fuckin way.
The most overrated asset may be his own 2018 first. Just because he has young talent doesn’t mean they won’t get burn and put up some decent fantasy numbers (Murray, Poetl, Luwawu, Hield, Leaf, Baldwin, etc.) He also has Jokic and Irving. Not gonna be a great pick.
All his prospects are rated pretty fairly, I can’t come out here and act like Hield is underrated or some shit. That’d be like some ESPN analyst saying “a sneaky pick to win the championship may be the Warriors or the Cavs”. The underrated asset of the bunch may have to be Jeff Green. Jeff Green has sank pretty low in the eyes of many, but with the likes of Jefferson, Shumpert and Frye (who plays some stretch 5 anyways), Green has an opportunity to be the 4th or 5th scorer on a line with LeBron James and pass the above mentioned 3 in the depth chart. The fast breaks with Green on the Cavs getting outlet passes from LeBron and Love will be beneficial, and he’ll be asked to handle it less and spot up for more corner threes, which he used to be great with. I predict Green will return to his Boston days once the wins start coming in (he’ll never be OKC Green again). He’s also 1 million for two more years, which was pretty decent for last year’s Jeff Green.
Celtics: Terry Rozier
T-Roz is backing up a star PG with a busted hip. Isaiah may or may not be having surgery this season; it sounds like he won’t need it, but all it takes is an aggravation or a Perkins screen to set you back. Smart may be asked to play some SG this year, as well as some PG, but Rozier is likely to see minutes as a backup PG (Shane Larkin is quietly entering the picture but probably won’t make the team if Isaiah is healthy for training camp). Rozier is cheap, and under contract for next season also, when Smart may walk in Free Agency (or Isaiah if Boston doesn’t max him). Next season at 3 million will be a very productive year for Rozier, and if he gets traded by then, he’ll probably get more minutes. Year 1 was quiet, year 2 he improved a lot but still was pretty quiet, I expect him to keep getting better. One of the best rebounding guards in the league, he has worked on his 3-point shot and has much needed NBA quickness. Don’t be shocked if he worked on his passing this offseason.
Clippers: Tony Snell
This muthafucka ugly as a muthafucka. 5 million a year for 5 years though? Pretty good deal for a player who has yet to show his full potential. Not sure what type of team is best for Snell, but dude is a good shooter with good height. The Bucks certainly need shooting to roll out with Giannis, so I think he’ll be in Milwaukee for awhile, unless they decide to package a few players for a superstar in a year or two. Snell is an under-the-radar type player, so he fits the bill of being underrated. The commitment to go 5 years on Snell was absolutely the right thing to do at that price as well.
Grizzlies: QUINCY MUTHAFUCKIN ACY NIIIIIIIGGGGG
Nah just don’t forget about Lance Stephenson. Interesting to see how invested the Pacers are in his services, but he’s a guy who you often forget about when looking at other contracts like Cauley-Stein, Ferrell, Favors, and of course the trio of Paul/Booker/George.
Hawks: 2019 first round pick
The Hawks are in an interesting position. My guess is they re-sign DeAndre, but if there is a bidding war for his services, or if a trade is made, Lowry could also be traded for young players and suddenly the 2019 pick could be the best in the league. Not a bad option for a top-heavy cash strapped team that will have to choose between Jordan at 20 million or so (at a position with a lot of production) and Aldridge who may be a bit cheaper. I like a few of the contracts on the Hawks, and the runner up for me may have been Jon Leuer, but I can see this playing out a few different ways, and Atlanta holds the cards.
Heat: Cap Space
The Heat 2018 1st rounder and 2019 1st rounder are fantastic assets, and pairing that with 30+ million in cap space is a recipe for future success. Giles, Swanigan, Nader, Fox, Maker, just a bunch of young players on cheap contracts that could be pretty decent to pretty good. Luol Deng is a blemish but could just be dropped if needed. The real head scratcher is Ben McLemore. Like I know this is a post on underrated assets, but what the fuck is up with McLemore at 10 million for 4 years? Anyways the cap space narrowly edges out the two firsts that are bound to be near the top of the draft.
Hornets: Emmanuel Mudiay
So much young talent on this team, just have to pair that talent with a few stars to build a long-term contender. That cap space is nuts. If you read this hoping for an asset to maybe target via trade, I would say Emmanuel Mudiay is pretty underrated. Just because he has only 2 years left on the contract and is in and out of the Nuggets plans at PG doesn’t mean he won’t find his niche somewhere in the league. Athletic point guard with good height, at an affordable rate for a few years. If you use a re-sign on him, you may be able to get him cheap if he doesn’t get traded before then. Then he could go to another team that will use him and you have a controllable point guard for a long time.
Jazz: TJ
TJ is underrated. Dwayne Wade can suck the fattest part of my dong, but since retirement is a free drop, the 3 year contract suddenly might not look so bad for a contender hoping that he plays at least half the regular season.
Kings: Patrick Beverly
So PB averaged 26 fantasy points last year. That’s pretty great for your backup pointguard to Dragic. A change of scenery will likely give him more of a chance to run an offense, although I don’t think that’s really what Beverly is about. Spacing will be harder to come by on the Clippers, which may hurt his abilities, but defensively he won’t slow down. I expect him to average about 25 with the Clippers the next two seasons, which makes him a very valuable fantasy player. Look forward to the Clippers/Lakers matchups, Beverly is going to be Ball’s rival for the first year of his career.
Knicks: Jalil Okafor
This guy just needs another team. Post scoring isn’t dead, his problem is his shitty pick and roll defense. With the potential to go for double doubles on another team, this guy is probably the most underrated asset on the Knicks. But if he punches one more Boston fan Ima take action and end this nigga.
Lakers: Taurean Prince
Not many people know much about this guy, but he’s a big part of the Hawks future and you could tell by the way he finished out his year. I’m not sure what sort of fantasy production he’ll have down the line, but a cheap young player on a rebuilding team will at the very least get an ass ton of minutes as we’ve seen. Chriss, Dunn and Embiid are pretty household names when it comes to young players with potential, but don’t sleep on Prince. Also, don’t sleep with Prince. That’d be gay AF.
Magic: Enes Kanter
He’s a lot of money, without question, but he’ll produce this year. On an expiring contract, he isn’t a bad grab, and because he is so much money, people may not be looking at him as an asset. I’d argue that an expiring deal is valuable, it is just a matter of being able to afford him. Just don’t hit me with that “oh my goodness how can you not say Tatum or Turner” nonsense because bitch I ain’t listening they ain’t underrated. Also Zipser may never be more relevant than the next year so enjoy the ride with him as you can, Portis and Markkanen are likely to eat a lot of his playing time.
Mavericks: Kevin Durant
This is tough because there isn’t really a lot of underrated players on the Mavs. Maybe Felicio potentially but I chose Durant because he’s locked up at 26 million for 4 years, which is close to what guys like McCollum/Derozan make in our league, and cheaper than guys like Conley and LeBron. Not an underrated player, I just think that extra 4 million or so in savings helps put another piece into a contending team. Also if Hawks blow it up as I was hinting at earlier the Mavs have the 2nd round pick.
Nuggets: Nikola Vucevic
This guy is frail. He’s cheap, but frail. If he puts together a full season or even like 68 games, you’re talking about a stud fantasy player. I would love to see Vuc. on another team, just to see how he plays with a contender, but he is a very underrated asset with an interesting back story. Also his wife is tall, so he probably gets sex on the reg, which is secretly a fantasy asset as players who can’t get their nut off often don’t sleep well and aren’t as focused on basketball.
Nets: Donovan Mitchell
He fell pretty far in the draft, and the Nets traded to draft him. He’ll fit in with Utah’s future plans and is another piece to a large pool of prospects that the Nets currently have. I still don’t know if I’d call Mitchell an underrated asset, Valentine is kind of underrated as well, but the Nets have a bright future and pretty much any one of his young players can be the one that takes his franchise to the next level.
Pacers: Andre Drummond
He is a very good center for fantasy, even if he has pretty much reached his ceiling. Would I have ever traded Draymond for him straight up? Not even close, are you fucking kidding me with that shit? (not the Pacers at the time). Andre is expensive and not a flashy real-life player, so he often gets overlooked for fantasy, but you could do a lot worse at center. You could also do a lot better (Kendrick Perkins).
Pelicans: Josh Richardson
Anigbogu reminds me of a little me, so I was tempted, but I’m stickin with J-Rich. He’s been traded a few times in our league going off memory, so I’m under the impression people want to get rid of him, but there is certainly question marks around him. Refer to this article that is by no means a picture of Dramond’s dick:
www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-blog/fl-sp-miami-heat-ask-ira-josh-richardson-s080217-story.html
As you can see, his real-life value is as a fringe starter. As a SG in our fantasy league, he isn’t a starter by any means, but he’s also going to be much cheaper to re-sign if the Pelicans want him. Could be a young piece that any team could probably get on the cheap. Also the Pels own their own 2018 first. Watch out.
Pistons: (Who currently have 13 players on the roster?
?) Darren CollisonThis dude has quietly been pretty solid in Sacramento. He shoots the most on the line 3-pt turned 2-pt shots out of anyone I know, maybe Rudy Gay also but just needs to step back a half inch to get more points. He’ll run wild with the Pacers, and I think was a great value at 13 million. I think Detroit wins it all this year, unless he gets shafted for having 13 players.
Also, there is a glitch I’ve witnessed in 2K, my buddy plays with Kuzminskis and drops like 30 a game with that ugly ass mop-headed muthafucka.
Also also seriously does this MF have 13 players?
Raptors: Kendrick Perkins
2nd place is Ron Baker. Ramon Sessions is a shitty veteran that will take a few minutes from Baker but when it is all said and done, the Knicks by firing Phil Jackson have committed to their young players. Zinger, Hernangomez, Ntilinka. Also Ron Baker. They inked him for a few more years guaranteed to see what the guy is made of. He pesters like Beverly and Delly (full court get in your face 48 minute type pester). He has worked a lot on his jump shot this offseason, which is his glaring hole, but he’ll get a lot of minutes this season and hopefully can develop the jumper to make this Wichita St fella into a good player. I wanted to say Bertans but I’ll give it to Baker.
Rockets: Ersan Ilyasova
Rockets GM was dealt a team with pretty much 4 max players and had to make it work. The team is in a pretty good place at this juncture, with a little youth sprinkled in with a couple max players and veterans. It’s easy to forget about Ersan, and he often lacks consistency, but this is a stretch 4 that hits 3’s and often gets rebounds with the best of them. Perhaps more valuable when there were more traditional power forwards to guard, he will still find a role with whatever team he goes to, and he’ll always have the green light to fire away from deep. Also his wife has the red light because THAT PROSTITUTE IS FINE AS HELL HOLY SHIT BOYS.
Spurs: Marvin Williams
I’m really not the biggest stretch 4 fan, but Williams is going to have a very important role if the Hornets are serious about keeping Dwight Howard. Although expensive, Williams is underrated as a player who is actually often a difference maker in close games for Charlotte. The Spurs have a bit more talent with big guys than they do guards, but this team has a nice mix of vets and youth, and after 2 seasons there will be an ability to spend on free agents or make some trades the season before to rebuild. Expect Marvin Williams to put up 20+ fantasy points this year (I have no idea what he did last year my ESPN link is permanently fucked so I assume he was close to this number last year).
Suns: Klay Thompson
I know he scores low, but he is a very serviceable shooting guard that isn’t going to decline any time soon. A few owners may OVER-rate Klay due to his allstar status IRL, but he’s capable of big nights for fantasy. Naturally, his involvement as a fantasy player took a hit with the arrival of Durant, but he is by no means a bad player to have as your starting SG. He can rebound, hit threes, make a high percentage of free throws, and pass decently. His contract isn’t even that atrocious, he’s making Wesley Matthews money without being Wesley Matthews. I don’t know enough about Tyus Jones to blab about him but he may be a 2nd place candidate.
Thunder: The Big-Big 3
Besides getting away with cheating last year, Loren has 3 young centers that may very well turn into 2 if he decides to trade one of them (guessing he keeps Collins). Each one has a different NBA skillset but will produce around the rate of a high-quality backup center. Olynyk may play the 4 in some lineups next to whiteside, we know Dieng plays it next to Towns, and I won’t be shocked to see Collins play some 4 ball also. The multi-position eligibility is just icing on the cake.
I had to throw shade at that one, Loren’s hardly the only one. Fight me bitches.
Timberwolves: Sean Kilpatrick
Boys I’m fuckin gassed here so maybe my explanations won’t quite be there but Kilpatrick has pretty good fantasy potential and has shown it at times. I think he’s an underrated asset because he could be re-signed using the .6 X fantasy points formula and be relatively cheap going forward. I’m not sure what teams would be best for him but I don’t imagine him being in Brooklyn for much longer.
Trailblazers: Chieck Diallo
CHIECKMATE NIGGA
Warriors: Wilson Chandler
People forget what Chandler is made of. Playing on and off with injuries and filling in for Gallinari and playing small 4 and playing big 3 and playing in China and on and on and on. He’s got game. At 12 million, he’s a very valuable piece. With Gallo out of town, he’s got Hernangomez as a backup but I can’t see him get less than 30 minutes a game. With Caleb likely to always look for deals to be made, keep an eye on Chandler’s availability moving forward.
Wizards: Timofey Mozgov
His real life contract is such shit. Which maybe Brooklyn will buy out, but I’m guessing they try to showcase him for a year or 2 as the starting center in hopes that he’ll be tradeable. Even if they then realize he’s not that good, he would have already fleeced them for 25+ minutes a game, which is FANTASTIC for fantasy basketball at .25 million a year. Worst case scenario he’s a free drop.
Also he made the most legendary commercial ever, which adds to how underrated he is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqiJOPXpksc
I don’t know man like 3 of you are gonna read this shit but let’s get some activity up in this garbage. Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments. You better not disagree though cause I’ll bust you.
