2012 NBA Draft Team by Team Analysis

I was in agony, I was jittery, I was giggly…the NBA Draft everybody! I actually had to close Twitter last night because the freaking experts were spilling the beans on every pick before it happened. Very upsetting. But anyway, the draft is over, and it is time to begin thinking about what has happened. I think the easiest way to go about this is to look at what each team acquired over the course of the draft and see if it will actually be helpful for them or not. (Why is this highlighted??! Blogger, you are confusing)

Alphabetically

1. Atlanta Hawks:

John Jenkins (SG) Vanderbilt, Mike Scott (PF) Virginia

The Hawks made a a solid choice with this late first round pick. John Jenkins can shoot the lights out, and he has worked hard to be able to put the ball on the floor a little bit too. He instantly gives the Hawks a legitimate outside shooter, which they have not really had lately. Nice Pick. And Mike Scott should provide a bit of stability off the bench. y'know, to take some of Zaza's minutes.

2. Boston Celtics:

Jared Sullinger (PF) Ohio State, Fab Melo (C) Syracuse, Kris Joseph (SF) Syracuse

Boston addressed some pretty big needs in this draft. They picked up a low post scorer in Jared Sullinger (who had slipped because of some red flags about his lower back), a shot blocker in Fab Melo who can give Kevin Garnett a bit of a break, and a slashing wing who ISN’T old in Kris Joseph. Really solid draft.

3. Brooklyn Nets:

Ilkan Karaman (PF) Turkey

This draft was already a failure because the Nets traded away all of their draft picks to get Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace during last season. If they aren’t able to keep Williams, it will have all been for nothing. Poorly planned, Brooklyn.

4. Charlotte Bobcats:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF) Kentucky, Jeffery Taylor (SF) Vanderbilt

The Bobcats did the smart thing and drafted players to help their new coach succeed. Dunlap wants to run up and down and defend hard. MKG and Taylor love to do both of those things. It fits perfectly for Gilchrist to slide right into the starting lineup and Taylor to come off the bench to keep the level of intensity up. Taylor really improved his outside shot at Vandy, and hopefully the No 2 overall pick will work to do the same.

5. Chicago Bulls:

Marquis Teague (PG) Kentucky

If you hadn’t heard, Derrick Rose will probably be out until Christmas or later as he recovers for the ACL injury that he suffered last season. That means the Bulls have a rather large and conspicuous hole at PG this coming season. Now, Teague probably won’t start, but he will get a chance to come off the bench and run this team a little bit. He can eventually start learning from the best when Rose comes back. Smart.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers:

Dion Waiters (SG) Syracuse, Tyler Zeller (C) North Carolina

The Waiters pick at No 4 overall was a rumor that started late in the day on Thursday, and it turned out to be true. Waiters is a slasher and a playmaker, not the 3 point shooter that many thought the Cavs needed. However, he also is one of the players in this draft who can really change an offense. With Zeller, the Cavs traded a first round pick and 2 2^nd round picks to get him, which I am ok with. Zeller brings the same workman attitude that Varejao does, but he already has a higher skill level and ceiling. He will work really hard to be his best, and his best will be pretty good. Great Draft.

7. Dallas  Mavericks:

Jared Cunningham (SG) Oregon St., Bernard James (C) Florida St., Jae Crowder (SF) Marquette

Speak of the devil, here are the 3 picks the Mavs got from the Cavaliers. I love these picks. Jared Cunningham is a slashing ball handler who can get to the rim and distribute, Bernard James will punch you in the face after he blocks your shot, he works that hard! And Jae Crowder was one of the most impactful players in college basketball last year. He is small, but he can do absolutely everything on the court. If the Mavs keep all of these players, they really have a chance to develop into solid NBA role players, which is really as much as you can ask for.

8. Denver Nuggets:

Evan Fournier (SF) Spain, Quincy Miller (SF) Baylor, Izzet Turkyilmaz (C) Turkey

Lets see, the current small forwards for the Nuggets are Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Justin Hamilton. Now there is also Evan Fournier and Quincy Miller. While both of these players have high ceilings and should develop well, at some point you have to consider the redundancy on your roster. Maybe the Nuggets are planning some sweet trades, and I really do like these players, I just question the timing. Nobody on earth knows anything about that dude from Turkey.

9. Detroit Pistons:

Andre Drummind (C) UCONN, Khris Middleton (SF) Texas A&M, Kim English (SG) Mizzou

The Pistons did a great job of addressing needs, both present and future, in this draft. Andre Drummond will (hopefully) pair with Greg Monroe to give the Pistons a great front court. If Drummond can develop even 70% of his potential, he will be a double-double guy who blocks a ton of shots. Khris Middleton is a solid SF who will help mitigate the eventual departure of Tayshaun Prince, and Kim English has a beautiful stroke from 3. The Pistons really needed a Center and a shooter, and they got both of them in this draft. Good job.

10. Golden State Warriors:

Harrison Barnes (SG) UNC, Festus Ezeli (C) Vanderbilt, Draymond Green (SF) Michigan St, Ognjen Kuzmic (C) Spain

To start off, once again nobody has any idea who Kuzmic is, but he is really tall. Now, for the other picks, Barnes should be able to start at the shooting guard is Golden State right away. Klay Thompson and he will kind of slide between the SF and SG spot as needed, but they really give the Warriors a deadly outside duo. Ezeli is a monster inside. He can’t really score that well but he rebounds like an animal and can block some shots, a great backup to Andrew Bogut. Draymond Green will just continue to do what he does, play smart basketball at any position on the floor and contribute however he can. Good Draft.

11. Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lamb (SG) UCONN, Royce White (SF) Iowa St., Terrence Jones (PF) Kentucky

I loved this draft. For all the talk that they were trying to trade for Dwight Howard, the Rockets still chose high ceiling players with their 3 top 20 picks. Jeremy Lamb is long and lean and can put the ball in the basket. He should be a great wing addition for this team. Royce White is a very interesting player. He can pass the ball, score in the post, run the break with or without the ball, and defend 3-4 positions on the floor. If his shot gets un-broke, he will be awesome. And Terrence Jones is a hard nosed 4 man who gives the Rockets yet another weapon. Now if they could only find a center…

12. Indiana Pacers:

Miles Plumlee (C) Duke

Remember, this is team by team, not draft order, so don’t freak out that this is No 12. Plumlee will really help strengthen the Pacers frontcourt. He can (somehow) jump out of the gym, he works as hard as anybody, and he has a desire to get better. He will do a great job of backing up Roy Hibbert if he stays with the Pacers, and Miles could possibly develop his jump shot enough to be an offensive threat as well.

13. LA Clippers:

Furkan Aldemir (PF)

IDK. He seems nice. In better news, it looks like the Clippers are trading for Lamar Odom, for whatever that means.

14. LA Lakers:

Darius Johnson Odom (SG) Marquette, Robert Sacre (C) Gonzaga

The Lakers did a good job of finding some potential in the final 10 picks of the draft. Odom has a real chance in this league as he is an athletic slashing guard who has delevoped into a shooter over time. He works hard and defends hard, and that means a lot. Sacre is a reasonably unathletic center, but he has great footwork and a decent jumper. He will probably stick, since most big men seem to.

15. Memphis Grizzlies:

Tony Wroten (PG) Washington

Wroten is one of those guys that get a GM fired or get him a raise. He has all the ability in the world as a 6’5” athletic point guard. He has great vision and he loves taking the ball to the rim. However, he also turns the ball over a lot, can’t shoot worth a lick, and that scared some teams. If he can develop his jumper, he is a going to be really, really good. Here’s hoping.

16. Miami Heat

Justin Hamilton (C) LSU

What is the one thing the world champions needed? Size. Hamilton brings that. He isn’t a shot blocker, but he is a wide 6’10” who can bang, grab boards, and shoot a really good mid-range jumper. He should help to fill that void at center, though he may not totally fill it.

17. Milwaukee Bucks:

John Henson (PF) UNC, Doron Lamb (SG) Kentucky

The Bucks made some really solid picks in this draft. They finished acquiring shot blocking, as they add Henson to Samuel Dalembert, Ekpe Udoh, and Larry Sanders. Henson should also be able to develop into an adequate offensive threat, once he finished gaining 30 pounds by eating nothing but Milwaukee cheese for the next month. Doron Lamb fills another void on this roster. He knocks down threes like its his job, and the Bucks really needed that. I think these are two really intelligent picks. Should work out.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves:

Robbie Hummel (SF) Purdue

The T’wolves think that they already have a good foundation for their team. They added a knockdown shooter in Chase Budinger through a trade, and now they add Shane Battier lite in Robbie Hummel. The Purdue senior is a 3 point shooter who will work his butt off 100% of the time. He may not be the same defender Battier is, but his offensive game may be a bit more diverse. This wasn’t a spectacular draft, but the Timberwolves think they will get better just by having some age on their team.

19. New Orleans Hornets:

Anthony Davis (PF) Kentucky, Austin Rivers (SG) Duke, Darius Miller (SF) Kentucky

Anthony Davis, blah, blah blah. If you haven’t heard of him, don’t worry about it, he is an obscure, out of nowhere player…nvm. Anyway, adding Austin Rivers was an interesting choice. He really divided scouts, because he mostly has eyes for the basket, not for his teammates. However, he can be a really valuable player as he develops, and Monty Williams will make sure that he has every chance to learn how to play. The pick of Darius Miller is smart in all ways. He is a great glue guy, and he can be buddies with their franchise cornerstone, Anthony Davis.

20. New York Knicks

Kostas Papanikolaou (SF) Greece

A draft and stash kind of player, he should be able to come over in a couple of years and make a reasonable impact.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

Perry Jones III (SF) Baylor

I loved this pick. Jones slid down draft boards because of concern about his knee, coupled with the already existing concern about his desire to be great. I think he landed is a perfect situation. Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka are the two players that he should model his game and work ethic after. This team gives him a chance to develop into the player that he wants to be, whatever that may be.

22. Orlando Magic

Andrew Nicholson (PF) St. Bonaventure, Kyle O’Quinn (C) Norfolk St.

The Magic are obviously preparing for the possibility of a large void in their frontcourt. If Dwight Howard leaves, these two players can attempt to fill some of that void. Nicholson is by far the better scorer, with Ryan Anderson type range, but a bit of a nasty streak inside. O’Quinn is the banger of the two. He is a large body with a decent touch who will grab many rebounds. Decent choices.

23. Philadelphia 76’ers

Moe Harkless, (SF) St. Johns, Arnette Moultrie (PF) Miss St.

The Sixers made some smart choices here. First, the picked up Harkless who could really develop into a high scoring small forward. He has length, athleticism, and a desire to beat people. Moultrie is a really bouncy power forward who will rebound the ball really well. He also has a decent jumper and will be a threat on both ends of the floor. Really good trade with the Heat to get the player that they wanted. Good draft.

24. Phoenix Suns

Kendall Marshall (PG) UNC

If Nash stays with the Suns, Marshall will be able to develop his already extraordinary passing skills behind the best passer in a generation. If Nash leaves, Marshall will be given the keys to an offense that he has basically already played. Run and gun with some pick and rolls thrown in there. Great pick by the Suns,  as they got their point guard of the future no matter what happens in free agency.

25. Portland Trailblazers

Damian Lillard (PG) Weber St., Meyers Leonard (C) Illinois, Will Barton (SG) Memphis

Fantastic draft. The Blazers knew that they needed a PG, so they drafted the best one in the draft. Lillard compares really nicely to Derrick Rose in terms of measurements. He is less explosive and a better shooter, but that isn’t a bad thing by any stretch. Meyers Leonard fills the hole at center, although he may not be a strong contributor for a couple of year. He is huge, he loves to dunk, and he has a great skill set. The late pick of Will Barton is one I really like too. He is one of those players that isn’t crazy athletic or elusive, but can somehow just put the ball in the basket. He will be really valuable as a replacement for Jamal Crawford.

26. Sacramento Kings

Thomas Robinson (PF) Kansas

The Kings weren’t sure if they wanted this pick, but they did the smart thing and took Robinson with this pick. He will team with Demarcus Cousins to make up a really strong frontcourt for this team. Robinson really improved his post up game, developed a jump shot, and added those things to his terrific rebounding skills. He is a great player, and could be a 20-10 guy really quick.

27. San Antonio Spurs:

Marcus Denmon (SG) Mizzou

The Spurs love laughing at everyone else during draft night. They let everyone else pick the character problems, or the potential busts, then they just pick solid players who fit their scheme. Denmon is a great shooter and is basically a quicker clone of Gary Neal. You really can never have enough shooters, and the Spurs just grabbed a good one.

28. Toronto Raptors

Terrence Ross (SG) Washington, Quincy Acy (PF) Baylor

The Raptors really wanted some outside shooting or a playmaker with this pick, and they obviously thought that Ross was the best option on the board. He is a great shooter and a good leaper. He will need to improve his ball handling, but he should help stretch the floor immediately for this Raptors team. Also, Quincy Acy is the type of player that every coach wants. He rebounds, he takes charges, he gets offensive rebound, he is a great pickup for late 2^nd round.

29. Utah Jazz:

Kevin Murphy (SG) Tennessee St.

The Jazz really wanted to move into the first round in this draft, but couldn’t get it done. They consoled themselves by picking up another young player to add into their team. If Alec Burks turns into the starter, then Murphy would be his high scoring backup. He really puts the ball in the basket, like a lot. He likes to score, and he can get to the rim. Decent choice at this point.

30. Washington Wizards:

Bradley Beal (SG) Florida, Thomas Staransky (SF) Spain

The Beal pick was what everyone hoped for. Beal will give John Wall a running mate in a fast paced offense. He can take the ball to the basket or shoot the three, and he should be ideal for this Washington team. Sataransky is a decent player already, but he won’t be ready to come to the States for a few years at least. The Wizards definitely improved their team here.

Well, that is the draft! I didn’t grade any of these picks, but I obviously gave my opinion. Remember, I love the draft, and I think everyone will average 20 ppg, so be cautious! Let me know what you think of my thoughts. (is that metacognition?)

Man Crush: Kenneth Faried

The writers over at HardwoodParoxysm.com are really, really good at writing poetical and beautiful narrative about basketball. I really enjoy reading their stuff, so I am going to give that style a shot when writing about the my man crush, Kenneth Faried.

They don’t call him the “Manimal” for nothing. With his flying dreadlocks, non-stop motor, and fierce athleticism, Faried is the living embodiment of an energy player. Combine that with an innate ability to sniff out the ball in the air, a fearless approach to both sides of the floor, and a humility born of humble beginnings, and you can see why I have a gigantic man-crush on this forward for the Denver Nuggets.

If you get a minute, go ahead and watch this video about this Man + Animal + nice person.

As we look at a few numbers, the most important thing to remember is that Faried was a rookie in the NBA this season.

10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 58.6 fg%, 21.94 PER.

What is big there is that Faried only played 22 minutes per game, and his PER numbers were tops among all rookies, and 18^th out of all players in the league. His Player Efficiency Rating was higher than Dirk, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, and Josh Smith. He produced at an incredibly high level for a rookie because he knew his role and stuck to it.

I believe that Kenneth Faried will be a starting power forward in the NBA for the next decade at least, and will probably lead the league in rebounding before all things are said and done. That is why my man crush is Kenneth Faried.

GM Finals Perspective

So, it is down to the Thunder and the Heat. Good vs Evil, Durant vs. Lebron, Perkins vs. Turiaf (Maybe not). This is set up to be one of the most exciting NBA Finals that we have seen in a long time. Game 7 of the Heat v Celtics series was the most watched basketball game on cable television EVER. That means good things for the NBA, and it especially means good things for the Finals.

I don't want to spend too much time talking about the actual series, but I do want to spend a little bit of time talking about the differences between the two teams. From a General Manager's perspective, these teams couldn't be more different.

The Miami Heat were forged through money. Yes, the did draft Dwayne Wade back in 2003, Mario Chalmers in 2008 and.... As far as contributing players, that is it. Haslem, Battier, Miller, Anthony, Bosh, James, all of these players were signed as free agents, or traded for over the last few years. This is a team of mercenaries in some sense. Lebron and Bosh decided that they would go to the team that they thought could win. Now, what is interesting is their salaries. All three players are making between15.6 and 16.02 Million dollars this season, practically identical salaries. The three players, Wade, James, and Bosh, decided to make about 20% less money so that they could all play on the same team. Very interesting and smart business decision by them, the idea being that they could make a ton of money and still give the Heat a little bit of room to sign veterans. Obviously, the team could still use some effective role players, but the fact that the Heat have gotten to the Finals two years in a row is kind of good.

By contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder were forged through drafting. (And by stealing from a city in the pacific northwest). They drafted Nick Collison in 2003, Kevin Durant in 2007, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka in 2008, and James Harden in 2009. That is their top 4 best players, and an incredibly valuable role player, all through the draft. You can make a very strong argument that the Thunder had the best 3 year draft ever, but you probably can't make that argument for a few years when all 3 of Durant, Westbrook and Harden are established stars. So, it is easy to see the contrast that this team makes with the Miami Heat. However, money is going to be very interesting for this team as well. Keving Durant is currently signed through 2016 for 82 Million dollars. Lots of money, but not quite a max contract. HOWEVER, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka are all going to require 10+ million dollars a year in the very near future. Ibaka made 1.2 million dollars this year. On the open market, he will require 8-10 times that money, especially if he keeps developing. Unless players take less than max deals, the Thunder are going to find themselves in the same boat as the Heat in 3 years.

As a General Manager, you don't really care how you build your team. If you are winning, bringing in fans, and making money, then it really does not matter who you drafted or hired. However, money is always going to be the biggest issue that a team can face. The NBA is a business, and other teams are going to try to headhunt and steal employees with more money, better co-workers, and better working conditions. The challenge of a GM is to identify who you can afford and who you can replace, while still putting a winning product out on the floor.

Would you rather your team drafted or bought a superstar?
Let me know.

Man Crush: Mike Trout

I simply cannot get over how much I love Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. He is a rookie, he just turned 20 years old this year, and his slash line is: .338/.388/.559. (Thats average/on base percentage, and slugging percentage) He has played in only 34 games and has already scored 24 runs, hit 5 HR, batted in 22 people from the lead off spot, walked 12 times, and stolen 9 bases.

He just won the rookie of the month award for May, and will probably win it 2 or 3 more times this year and challenge very strongly for the Rookie of the Year for the 2012 season.

But what I like most about him is his approach to the game. He plays extremely hard, and he does it with a humility that is incredibly endearing. He doesn’t take a play off, he uses his athletic ability to its greatest effectiveness, and has shown an intelligence to be able to adjust between at bats. I think Bryce Harper is supremely talented, but Trout has the kind of personality that will let all fans like him, not just Angel's fans.

I officially have a man crush on Mike Trout. This series will be on-going.

MLB Keeper League

The very fun gentlemen in ESPN’s MLB division recently held a futures draft. The premise was, of current MLB players, who would you start your team with for the next 10 years. Not 2 years, or 6 years, but 10 years of time. So, some older players would likely be left off of that list. Players like Roy Halladay and Albert Pujols, while still incredibly talented players, would not be picked in this draft because they will be over 40 in ten years.

I am going to do a little switch on this idea, so that I am not directly copying. My idea is, from each team, which player would a general manager KEEP for the next 10 years to be the cornerstone of their franchise. The GM gets to keep this player for a league average salary, and they must sign a 10 year contract. Just to clarify, prospects don’t count. Players must be on the Major League roster as of today.

American League

·      Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters, C, 26 yrs old

The Orioles just gave Adam Jones a 6 year deal, but Matt Wieters is one of the best defensive AND offensive catchers in baseball. He has an absolute cannon for an arm, is really learning how to hit, and he plays a premium position. They gotta keep this guy, even when he argues with umpires.

·      Boston Red Sox: Will Middlebrooks, 3B, 23

I am sure that Bostonians would hate to admit it, but their team is getting old. Elsbury and Pedroia, the two most attractive current options, are both 28 years old. 38 year old 2B and CF are not terribly attractive to anyone. Middlebrooks has shown the ability to hit for both power and average in his current (and short) major league tenure. He should be replacing Youkilis permanently this year.

·      New York Yankees: Ivan Nova, SP, 25

Ok, here is our first really awful decision. According to the rules that I made, Michael Pineda does not qualify for this draft, as he hasn’t seen the field for the pinstripes this year. That leaves us with…Ivan Nova or Robinson Cano. Cano is 29, and the best 2B is baseball, Nova is 25 and the 2^nd best pitcher on the staff…for 10 years I suppose you have to pick Nova and hope he becomes a #1 starting pitcher.

·      Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Moore, SP, 22

As a GM, you always do everything in your power to keep left handed pitchers who throw 97 MPH with plus breaking pitches. You just do. Moore has had some early struggles in his rookie year, but he has the demeanor and the stuff of a future ace.

·      Toronto Blue Jays: Brett Lawrie, 3B, 22

Lawrie already ranks in the top 5 defensive third basemen in baseball, and there is really no reason to think that his offense won’t catch up to his defense. As long as he can keep from going Latrell Sprewell on some unsuspecting umpire, Lawrie should be a perennial All Star for many of these 10 years.

·      Chicago White Sox: Chris Sale, SP, 23

Like I said with the Rays, you don’t let top lefty pitching go. The side arm fireballer is a fantastic strikeout pitcher already, and he will gain some veteran wiles pitching with veterans like Jake Peavy. I considered Dyan Viciedo for this position, but you can find outfielder who do what he does. There are simply not a ton of Chris Sales around.

·      Cleveland Indians: Carlos Santana, C, 26

Santana has had a history of injury problems, but he is a fantastic offensive player who is learning to manage a pitching staff. The Indians do not have a ton of other options for this spot, although Asdrubal Cabrera is also only 26. Cabrera may not be able to sustain his offensive output from a year ago, while Santana has been consistent.

·      Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander, SP, 29

You say, “But he is 29 years old!” I say, imagine if he lost 4-5 miles off of his fastball by the time he is 39. That seems likely. You know what that means? It means that he is still throwing 91-92 and can throw 95 MPH gas when he wants to. I think Verlander is going to be the greatest pitcher of our generation. He is just a freak of nature, and worth keeping till he turns into Jamie Moyer.

·      Kansas City Royals: Mike Moustakas, 3B 23 OR Eric Hosmer, 1B, 22

I couldn’t help it. Both of these players project to be at or near the top of their position for the next 10 years, and both are solid young men who just want to play baseball. I really think you can’t go wrong with either pick. Lucky Royals (don’t hear that very often)

·      Minnesota Twins: Denard Span, CF, 28

Yikes. All of this teams talent is 29 or older. Ben Rever could turn into a serviceable outfielder, but he is not franchise material. Since the Twins are required by law to make a 10 year franchise pick, they pick Span, or some crappy young pitcher.

·      Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout, CF, 20

At least some of these picks are easy. In 3 years, Trout could be the best player in baseball. In 10 years, he could be most of the way to a Hall of Fame career. Obviously, no one knows what the future holds, but Trout is a cornerstone of this franchise for forever. I could see them giving him a 10 year contract in real life (If that was still possible)

·      Oakland Athletics: Josh Reddick, RF, 25

Reddick reminds me of Jason Worth, and its not just the hair either. He has a sweet stroke, hits for power and average, and plays a capable right field. He may not be worth 200 million dollars, but Josh Reddick is the kind of player you want to keep around for a long time.

·      Seattle Mariners: Jesus Montero, C, 22

In a year or so, the Mariners will want to spend this pick on pitching, as their minor league system runneth over with quality arms. But for now, Jesus Montero is the pick. If he can ever bring his catching skills up to big league average, he will be an incredibly valuable player. He is showing strong offensive skills already.

·      Texas Rangers: Neftali Feliz, SP/RP, 24

Hamilton is 31, and Japanese pitchers have a tendency to break down, so Darvish is out. Elvis Andrus is a good pick here, but the Rangers have the best SS prospect in the game ready to take over for him. Feliz has a fantastic arm, has shown the ability to work effectively from any pitching role, and is only 24 years old. Good.

National League

·      Atlanta Braves: Freddie Freeman, 1B, 22

This was another difficult choice, since Jason Heyward is the same age. However, I see the same power potential in both, and Freeman should hit for a higher average and is less susceptible to damage in the infield. Since he got his sweet new specs, I expect Freeman to be good to go for the next decade.

·      Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton, RF, 22

No brainer. I give 5-1 odds that Stanton kills someone with a line drive (or a cut off throw) before his career is over. He is simply huge. Stanton is really showing that he can hit for monstrous power AND a good average. He is incredibly valuable to this franchise.

·      New York Mets: Ruben Tejada, SS, 22

Tejada has had the injury bug this year, but if the Mets lock him up soon, they could get a 32% discount! We all know how much the Mets ownership wants to save money. But seriously, Tejada was playing at a high level before he went down, and should keep producing when he comes back.

·      Philadelphia Phillies: Cole Hamels, SP, 28

To make a long story short, name one other person under 30 on the roster who is worth keeping…Kinda tough to do. Hamels is a fantastic pitcher, and although he may break down in 10 years, he is the best option from this teams current roster.

·      Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, CF, 19

Harder decision than you might think. Out of all teams in major league baseball, the Royals are the only team who come close to the same amount of young talent that the Nationals have. Harper, Strasburg, Zimmerman, Desmond, and Gonzales could all still be valuable contributors to this team in 10 years. However, Harper will barely have reached his peak in 10 years, and that is amazing. Keep him!

·      Chicago Cubs: Starlin Castro, SS, 22

Lots of 22 year olds on this list. Castro could hit .345 someday, and he can steal bases too. He won’t hit 25 homers, and may have 20 errors a year, but he is young and talented, and the Cubs need to build up a team around him.

·      Cincinnati Reds: Johnny Cueto, SP, 26

Another difficult choice. Jay Bruce has been inconsistent, but he is a really talented outfielder. Aroldis Chapman is super cool, but his a relief pitcher, and Johnny Queto is the oldest of the 3, but he is pitching fantastically, so we go with Cueto.

·      Houston Astros: Jose Altuve, 2B, 22

The Astros aren’t an old team, but man do they need some talent! Since they must choose from among the young and horrible, they will go with the Mighty Mouse, the littlest engince that could, Jose Altuve. He is only 5’5”, but he plays with passion and abandon, which the Astros also need.

·      Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun, LF, 28

They already gave him the contract, so why not honor it? Braun is one of the most talented hitters in baseball, and he will continue to put up 30 HR + 100 RBI + .300 ave for the next 10 years. As long as he never get convicted of steroid use.

·      Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen, CF, 25

The Pirates, like the Mariners, have a lot of pitchers in the pipeline. Currently, they only have one certified star on their team, and they will keep him. McCutchen is one of the more exciting players in the league, and he plays a fantastic center field while hitting for average and growing power.

·      St. Louis Cardinals: Jaime Garcia, SP, 25

Garcia has been a fantastic pitcher for the Cardinals since he first stepped foot on the mound. He is crafty and doesn’t get flustered. Matt Adams, their current 1^st baseman, is another player that the Cards would like to keep around, but they have to pick, so they pick the pitcher.

·      Arizona Diamondbacks: Justin Upton, RF, 24

Upton has flashed MVP type potential, although he is having a down year this year. He can absolutely smash the cover off the ball, and he is a speed threat when everything is clicking. Upton should stay in Arizona for his whole career.

·      Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzales, CF, 26

Car-Go is having an MVP season this year. He plays defense, hits the everliving mess out of the baseball, and he is the kind of player who gets the rest of the team excited. Tulowitzki is a year older, and more injury prone, so the Rockies are going to choose Gonzales

·      Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, SP, 24

He is three years younger than Matt Kemp, has a very sustainable pitching motion, and it dominating the league for the 3^rd year in a row. You really cannot find anyone who doesn’t put Kershaw in the top 5-10 pitchers in the league, and he isn’t going to fall down that list in the next decade.

·      San Diego Padres: Cameron Maybin, CF, 25

The Padres join the group of teams who want to pick from another teams roster. But, since that isn’t allowable, they will pick Cameron Maybin. The mercurial center fielder has worlds of talent, but he has had trouble bringing that talent to the field on a consistent basis. Here’s hoping he can figure that out.

·      San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey, C, 25

Posey is back from an incredibly gruesome leg injury, and he is better than ever. He is proving to be the kind of backstop that can affect both the offense and the defense in a positive and lasting way. If he can stay off of the DL, Posey will captain this team for a long time.

Okay, there is the list. The GM phonecalls and nights spent sleepless were all worth it! Now, you people who read this blog that are baseball people, tell me if I have screwed your team over, or if you think I have made the right choice.