Jiggy's Top 30 BBS Backups 2005 (15-1)
Oct 8, 2012 1:52:56 GMT -5
Post by Jiggy on Oct 8, 2012 1:52:56 GMT -5
Just a few words on the ranking system: Only players with 27mpg or less were eligible to be listed and had to have played in a minimum of 30 games by day 70. Also, players with glaring weaknesses (ie, Leandro Barbosa's handles) and players with lousy shooting percentages had to excell significantly in other areas to justify their placement. Also, because sortable stats aren't working for me, all of the numbers were gathered the hard way, so I didn't have the time to hunt down 30 approprate pictures to add. I know how we all love pictures.
And now...
Players 15 through 1
15- Jose Barea PG 44 23.9 11.9 2.6 4.5 0.9 0.1 2.1 .502 .847 .425 (NR)
Coming in at #15 on this season's list is former Northeastern, and current Dallas PG Jose Barea. For the most part, his game is quite similar to that of Leandro Barbosa's. They're both great, and I mean great shooters across the board, but Barea is the better of the two. And though Barbosa might be a slightly better rebounder/defender, Barea is far and away the better of the two with the ball in his hands. Their turnover totals are about the same, but Jose's assist totals are almost twice as good, with a 2:1 A/TO ratios as opposed to 1.2:/1. Not that 2:1 is good, but being able to score like he does on those kind of percentages makes it all the more forgivable.
14- Andrew Bogut C 45 26.6 10.4 8.4 1.5 0.4 1.4 1.4 .476 .675 .000 (NR)
After being selected #5 overall, huge hopes were placed squarely on his large Austrailian shoulders. And while TC wasn't particularly kind to him, Bogut's rookie season has been a success. He trys to do too much with the ball sometimes, but other than that he puts up good numbers for a rook. If he could manage to stay on the floor for 32 minutes, he could approach 13, 10, 2 and 2 right now. His FG% is also a lot higher than most probably expected it would be. I usually try to refrain from speculating on what a players peak numbers might be, but in Bogut's case, I feel pretty comfortable saying he could drop 15 and 11 with 2.5-2.7 blocks per game.
13- Yaroslav Korolev SF 44 21.8 4.8 4.6 1.5 1.0 1.2 0.6 .453 .712 .250 (NR)
I could see how some may disagree with Korolev being ranked higher than some of the guys on the list before him, but I just friggin' love this guy! YK obviously isn't a offensive threat (his career high is 14 points in a game) but he shoots well enough to not be considered a liability. And he really shines in every other aspect of the game. He rebounds well for a wing, and does a great job taking care of the ball. But it's his statistical defense (a combined 3.3 steals and blocks in 32 minutes) that has won him the starting SG role in Dallas. With his skillset, he may be better served starting at SF, but with his size, he still has a distinct advantage at the 2 spot.
12- Gary Payton PG 41 21.3 10.1 2.5 3.8 0.7 0.1 1.2 .425 .667 .271 (NR)
From the looks of it, this season may be "The Glove's" last hurrah in BBS. There's really no denying that he's been steadily declining for the past couple of years, but the truth is that at 37, Payton is still among the best backups out there, and is arguably still better than many starting points. His shooting percentages have never been great, and despite his nickname, he hasn't really been the ball hawk some expected him to be. However, it is an absolute luxury to have a backup point guard who, in starter's minutes, could dish out 6 dimes and still turn the ball over less than twice a game. Projected out to 32mpg, Payton scores 15 with 4 boards, 6 assists and 1.8 turnovers. In a league where turnovers are a huge issue, Payton's value increases exponentially.
11- Caron Butler SF 50 26.6 13.6 4.3 2.4 1.4 0.3 2.1 .439 .862 .390 (NR)
Butler is a player travelling slowly, but steadily upward. While they're still not great, his shooting percentages have improved every season, and it looks like he may end up a B, A- type player like Glenn Robinson, but with better defense. At 2.5 per 32 minutes played, his turnover rate is a little higher than you'd like and he's not a particularly strong rebounder for a guy his size, but if he can put up 20-22 a night, both of those shortcomings can be overlooked. Because he's a FA at the end of the season, and because the Raps are pretty overcrowded at wing, there's no telling where he may end up playing opening day, but my guess is that this will be his one and only appearance on this list.
10- Emeka Okafor PF 43 22.3 8.3 6.4 1.3 0.5 1.1 0.6 .464 .654 .000 (NR)
Unlike most of the rebounding shot blockers out there, Meka can and will get to the rim and draw fouls. But even though he put up nearly 17 and 10 as a rookie, while sweeping the rookie awards categories, the Rockets were a much different team then, and those 17 points came with an ugly .416 shooting percentage. This season, that percentage has increased dramatically, as he now comes off the bench behind one of the most dangerous frontcourt duos in the league, which is an advantageous sitch to be in for the still young, and still raw big man from UConn. The Rockets would ideally like to see him continue to back up Yao and Pau for the next few years, but if one were to get injured, or if they looked to move one for, say...a point guard, it's nice to know that Okafor is ready to step in.
9- Rasheed Wallace SF 41 23.7 10.5 6.2 1.4 0.7 0.3 0.9 .469 .677 .494 (NR)
A decade ago, I rode Rasheed Wallace (and his 27ppg at SG) to the finals in my rookie season in NBN. One of the first things I learned about FBB was that size matters. Which is probably why I got pinched for starting Andray Blatche at SF earlier this season because my half a dozen attempts to get Wallace cheap from Tiger failed. If he has any type of athleticism at all, a 6'11" 230 lb. wing has the scales tipped slightly in his favor from the jump. And although Sheed's 14 points per 32 minutes isn't exactly worthy of a letter home, he's a good rebounder, doesn't turn the ball over, hits his 3's and is a nighly mismatch for smaller SF's.
8- Joel Przybilla C 43 25.6 4.6 8.3 1.1 0.8 2.1 0.9 .385 .543 .000 (3)
After being ranked #3 last season, Pryz experienced a bit of a drop-off across the board statistically. He definitely hasn't been as much of a force on the boards or with blocked shots. He's still very, very good in both categories, but hasn't been dominant by any means. That said, he's still the best defensive big ranked this season. Offensively though, he's still rather pathetic. Still, whether or not he re-signs with San Antonio, he stands to make himself a nice chunk of change come this offseason.
7- Gary Trent PF 44 18.5 10.3 5.5 1.1 0.5 0.3 0.7 .434 .649 .000 (NR)
Say this phrase out loud: "Gary Trent is having a monster season for Miami." See! Doesn't it sound like...foreign, or something? He's actually a guy I missed the first time through, but noticed when I went back to look at Jahidi White again. Per 32, he's putting up 17.8 and 9.5 with a .432 shooting percentage, which isn't that bad, considering he plays in one of those designed to fail tanking offenses. Aside from the scoring and rebounding, Trent doesn't bring much else to the table in the way of statistics. This, coupled with the low shooting percentages keeps him out of the top five.
6- Andrew Bynum C 41 26.3 14.9 7.1 1.4 0.8 1.2 1.9 .442 .579 .000 (NR)
The third member of Denver's frontcourt rotation to make this season's list, and another example of how much size matters is 7'0" 285 lb. Andrew Bynum--a big old Baby Huey who is bumbling his way to a pretty good rookie season. Bynum is a raw as the day is long, but he's just too big and strong to keep from taking up space under the hoop all night. He's not a bad rebounder (though bulk plays a major role in his totals) and he's also shown some passing, stealing and blocking skills in his rookie campaign. His ball-handling is pretty atrocious at this point, but at just 18 and with a hell of a frame to grow into skill-wise, the sky might be the limit.
5- Cenk Akyol PG 50 18.4 8.0 2.5 2.7 0.8 0.1 0.9 .432 .714 .391 (NR)
In a few years, when looking back on the 2005 BBS draft, there's a good chance that we'll be remembering the three great point guards that came out of it. As if it wasn't difficult enough for Play to refrain from jizzing in his pants when, after the TC Akyol had, he goes and has the type of rookie season that he's been having. He's still really young and really raw (which shows in his percentages) but he's got incredible size for a PG and talent beyond his years. In 32 he'd put up 14, 4.3 and 4.7 with 1.5 steals and a stellar 1.5 turnovers. I don't even know what else to say. A 6'6" 200 lb. PG? Shiiiit. I can't wait to see what he sims like at his peak.
4- Marc Jackson C 47 20.1 9.8 6.1 1.0 0.4 0.8 0.7 .491 .667 .000 (20)
Boston center Marc Jackson takes a huge leap up from the 20th spot that he occupied last season. I know...it surprises me too. Like Emeka Okafor in Houston, Jackson benefits greatly from playing behind a dominant frontcourt duo. Shaq and TD go in and put starting bigs in foul trouble, and then the 6'10" 270 lb. Marc Jackson comes in and takes advantage of the backups. While his statistical production is basically the same (16 and 9, a block and low TO's) his FG% is light years above where it was last season at this point. He was a steal with the LLE.
3- Justin Reed PF 44 16.0 10.2 3.7 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.9 .499 .786 .000 (NR)
Yet another Mavs player on the list, Justin Reed is starting to look a lot like Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Right now, he's all scoring and rebounding and not much else, but playing at SF, he is big and strong enough to cause some problems for more talented opponents, which is evident in his shooting percentages. He does pose somewhat of a turnover threat playing at SF, but the pros more than outweigh the cons with him. In my opinion, the best thing Reed has going for him is time on his side. Unlike some of the other big-time bench scorers from last season's list (Chris Marcus, Gregor Fucka, etc.) he's on the upside of his career and has a legitmate shot at being an integral part of the Mavs offense for quite a while, as opposed to being a flash in the pan.
2- Jerry Stackhouse SG 47 18.5 10.0 2.2 1.7 0.5 0.1 1.3 .493 .887 .533 17.3, 3.8, 3a, 2.3to (1)
It was very, very close, but despite a makor increase in shooting percentages, Stack falls just short of repeating as #1. He's definitely gotten a year older, and he's playing far fewer minutes, but his production is virtually identical to what it was last year when projected out. That amounts to 17, 4 and 3, but as I said, this year he's doing it on fantastic percentages. It's debatable as to whether or not he'll be able to deliver at a level that will see him this high on the list next season, but if there was a 6th Man Hall of Fame, Jerry Stackhouse would surely be first ballot.
1- David Lee PF 45 25.4 14.7 7.2 2.5 0.9 0.2 0.8 .456 .848 .000 18.5, 9, 3.1a, 1.1s, 1to (NR)
It would have been easier for me to flip Jerry Stackhouse into the #1 spot after FBB picked David Lee as it's 6th man of the year, but I don't have a problem associating myself with their typically wonky selections in this case because they were right. Still only a rookie, he already possesses one of the best mid-range games of any big in the league, is a good rebounder, a really slick passer for a man his size, and he does a great job limiting his turnovers. However, you'd sort of have to assume that another season of coming off the bench isn't in the cards for Lee, so who knows? Maybe Stack can find his way back to the top of the list next season.
And now...
Players 15 through 1
15- Jose Barea PG 44 23.9 11.9 2.6 4.5 0.9 0.1 2.1 .502 .847 .425 (NR)
Coming in at #15 on this season's list is former Northeastern, and current Dallas PG Jose Barea. For the most part, his game is quite similar to that of Leandro Barbosa's. They're both great, and I mean great shooters across the board, but Barea is the better of the two. And though Barbosa might be a slightly better rebounder/defender, Barea is far and away the better of the two with the ball in his hands. Their turnover totals are about the same, but Jose's assist totals are almost twice as good, with a 2:1 A/TO ratios as opposed to 1.2:/1. Not that 2:1 is good, but being able to score like he does on those kind of percentages makes it all the more forgivable.
14- Andrew Bogut C 45 26.6 10.4 8.4 1.5 0.4 1.4 1.4 .476 .675 .000 (NR)
After being selected #5 overall, huge hopes were placed squarely on his large Austrailian shoulders. And while TC wasn't particularly kind to him, Bogut's rookie season has been a success. He trys to do too much with the ball sometimes, but other than that he puts up good numbers for a rook. If he could manage to stay on the floor for 32 minutes, he could approach 13, 10, 2 and 2 right now. His FG% is also a lot higher than most probably expected it would be. I usually try to refrain from speculating on what a players peak numbers might be, but in Bogut's case, I feel pretty comfortable saying he could drop 15 and 11 with 2.5-2.7 blocks per game.
13- Yaroslav Korolev SF 44 21.8 4.8 4.6 1.5 1.0 1.2 0.6 .453 .712 .250 (NR)
I could see how some may disagree with Korolev being ranked higher than some of the guys on the list before him, but I just friggin' love this guy! YK obviously isn't a offensive threat (his career high is 14 points in a game) but he shoots well enough to not be considered a liability. And he really shines in every other aspect of the game. He rebounds well for a wing, and does a great job taking care of the ball. But it's his statistical defense (a combined 3.3 steals and blocks in 32 minutes) that has won him the starting SG role in Dallas. With his skillset, he may be better served starting at SF, but with his size, he still has a distinct advantage at the 2 spot.
12- Gary Payton PG 41 21.3 10.1 2.5 3.8 0.7 0.1 1.2 .425 .667 .271 (NR)
From the looks of it, this season may be "The Glove's" last hurrah in BBS. There's really no denying that he's been steadily declining for the past couple of years, but the truth is that at 37, Payton is still among the best backups out there, and is arguably still better than many starting points. His shooting percentages have never been great, and despite his nickname, he hasn't really been the ball hawk some expected him to be. However, it is an absolute luxury to have a backup point guard who, in starter's minutes, could dish out 6 dimes and still turn the ball over less than twice a game. Projected out to 32mpg, Payton scores 15 with 4 boards, 6 assists and 1.8 turnovers. In a league where turnovers are a huge issue, Payton's value increases exponentially.
11- Caron Butler SF 50 26.6 13.6 4.3 2.4 1.4 0.3 2.1 .439 .862 .390 (NR)
Butler is a player travelling slowly, but steadily upward. While they're still not great, his shooting percentages have improved every season, and it looks like he may end up a B, A- type player like Glenn Robinson, but with better defense. At 2.5 per 32 minutes played, his turnover rate is a little higher than you'd like and he's not a particularly strong rebounder for a guy his size, but if he can put up 20-22 a night, both of those shortcomings can be overlooked. Because he's a FA at the end of the season, and because the Raps are pretty overcrowded at wing, there's no telling where he may end up playing opening day, but my guess is that this will be his one and only appearance on this list.
10- Emeka Okafor PF 43 22.3 8.3 6.4 1.3 0.5 1.1 0.6 .464 .654 .000 (NR)
Unlike most of the rebounding shot blockers out there, Meka can and will get to the rim and draw fouls. But even though he put up nearly 17 and 10 as a rookie, while sweeping the rookie awards categories, the Rockets were a much different team then, and those 17 points came with an ugly .416 shooting percentage. This season, that percentage has increased dramatically, as he now comes off the bench behind one of the most dangerous frontcourt duos in the league, which is an advantageous sitch to be in for the still young, and still raw big man from UConn. The Rockets would ideally like to see him continue to back up Yao and Pau for the next few years, but if one were to get injured, or if they looked to move one for, say...a point guard, it's nice to know that Okafor is ready to step in.
9- Rasheed Wallace SF 41 23.7 10.5 6.2 1.4 0.7 0.3 0.9 .469 .677 .494 (NR)
A decade ago, I rode Rasheed Wallace (and his 27ppg at SG) to the finals in my rookie season in NBN. One of the first things I learned about FBB was that size matters. Which is probably why I got pinched for starting Andray Blatche at SF earlier this season because my half a dozen attempts to get Wallace cheap from Tiger failed. If he has any type of athleticism at all, a 6'11" 230 lb. wing has the scales tipped slightly in his favor from the jump. And although Sheed's 14 points per 32 minutes isn't exactly worthy of a letter home, he's a good rebounder, doesn't turn the ball over, hits his 3's and is a nighly mismatch for smaller SF's.
8- Joel Przybilla C 43 25.6 4.6 8.3 1.1 0.8 2.1 0.9 .385 .543 .000 (3)
After being ranked #3 last season, Pryz experienced a bit of a drop-off across the board statistically. He definitely hasn't been as much of a force on the boards or with blocked shots. He's still very, very good in both categories, but hasn't been dominant by any means. That said, he's still the best defensive big ranked this season. Offensively though, he's still rather pathetic. Still, whether or not he re-signs with San Antonio, he stands to make himself a nice chunk of change come this offseason.
7- Gary Trent PF 44 18.5 10.3 5.5 1.1 0.5 0.3 0.7 .434 .649 .000 (NR)
Say this phrase out loud: "Gary Trent is having a monster season for Miami." See! Doesn't it sound like...foreign, or something? He's actually a guy I missed the first time through, but noticed when I went back to look at Jahidi White again. Per 32, he's putting up 17.8 and 9.5 with a .432 shooting percentage, which isn't that bad, considering he plays in one of those designed to fail tanking offenses. Aside from the scoring and rebounding, Trent doesn't bring much else to the table in the way of statistics. This, coupled with the low shooting percentages keeps him out of the top five.
6- Andrew Bynum C 41 26.3 14.9 7.1 1.4 0.8 1.2 1.9 .442 .579 .000 (NR)
The third member of Denver's frontcourt rotation to make this season's list, and another example of how much size matters is 7'0" 285 lb. Andrew Bynum--a big old Baby Huey who is bumbling his way to a pretty good rookie season. Bynum is a raw as the day is long, but he's just too big and strong to keep from taking up space under the hoop all night. He's not a bad rebounder (though bulk plays a major role in his totals) and he's also shown some passing, stealing and blocking skills in his rookie campaign. His ball-handling is pretty atrocious at this point, but at just 18 and with a hell of a frame to grow into skill-wise, the sky might be the limit.
5- Cenk Akyol PG 50 18.4 8.0 2.5 2.7 0.8 0.1 0.9 .432 .714 .391 (NR)
In a few years, when looking back on the 2005 BBS draft, there's a good chance that we'll be remembering the three great point guards that came out of it. As if it wasn't difficult enough for Play to refrain from jizzing in his pants when, after the TC Akyol had, he goes and has the type of rookie season that he's been having. He's still really young and really raw (which shows in his percentages) but he's got incredible size for a PG and talent beyond his years. In 32 he'd put up 14, 4.3 and 4.7 with 1.5 steals and a stellar 1.5 turnovers. I don't even know what else to say. A 6'6" 200 lb. PG? Shiiiit. I can't wait to see what he sims like at his peak.
4- Marc Jackson C 47 20.1 9.8 6.1 1.0 0.4 0.8 0.7 .491 .667 .000 (20)
Boston center Marc Jackson takes a huge leap up from the 20th spot that he occupied last season. I know...it surprises me too. Like Emeka Okafor in Houston, Jackson benefits greatly from playing behind a dominant frontcourt duo. Shaq and TD go in and put starting bigs in foul trouble, and then the 6'10" 270 lb. Marc Jackson comes in and takes advantage of the backups. While his statistical production is basically the same (16 and 9, a block and low TO's) his FG% is light years above where it was last season at this point. He was a steal with the LLE.
3- Justin Reed PF 44 16.0 10.2 3.7 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.9 .499 .786 .000 (NR)
Yet another Mavs player on the list, Justin Reed is starting to look a lot like Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Right now, he's all scoring and rebounding and not much else, but playing at SF, he is big and strong enough to cause some problems for more talented opponents, which is evident in his shooting percentages. He does pose somewhat of a turnover threat playing at SF, but the pros more than outweigh the cons with him. In my opinion, the best thing Reed has going for him is time on his side. Unlike some of the other big-time bench scorers from last season's list (Chris Marcus, Gregor Fucka, etc.) he's on the upside of his career and has a legitmate shot at being an integral part of the Mavs offense for quite a while, as opposed to being a flash in the pan.
2- Jerry Stackhouse SG 47 18.5 10.0 2.2 1.7 0.5 0.1 1.3 .493 .887 .533 17.3, 3.8, 3a, 2.3to (1)
It was very, very close, but despite a makor increase in shooting percentages, Stack falls just short of repeating as #1. He's definitely gotten a year older, and he's playing far fewer minutes, but his production is virtually identical to what it was last year when projected out. That amounts to 17, 4 and 3, but as I said, this year he's doing it on fantastic percentages. It's debatable as to whether or not he'll be able to deliver at a level that will see him this high on the list next season, but if there was a 6th Man Hall of Fame, Jerry Stackhouse would surely be first ballot.
1- David Lee PF 45 25.4 14.7 7.2 2.5 0.9 0.2 0.8 .456 .848 .000 18.5, 9, 3.1a, 1.1s, 1to (NR)
It would have been easier for me to flip Jerry Stackhouse into the #1 spot after FBB picked David Lee as it's 6th man of the year, but I don't have a problem associating myself with their typically wonky selections in this case because they were right. Still only a rookie, he already possesses one of the best mid-range games of any big in the league, is a good rebounder, a really slick passer for a man his size, and he does a great job limiting his turnovers. However, you'd sort of have to assume that another season of coming off the bench isn't in the cards for Lee, so who knows? Maybe Stack can find his way back to the top of the list next season.
