The 1st Annual NBA Fantasy Value Draft: Rounds 1 & 2

Round 1

With the 1^st overall pick, Team O’Toole selects: Kevin Durant

Sean: When looking at future value, I thought Kevin Durant was the best choice over LeBron James. He is obviously one of the most talented scorers in the NBA right now and looking forward I do not see that changing.

My take: Understandable reasoning. Durant is four years younger than LeBron, and has time to develop his defensive game. Barring devastating injury, Durant will end up being a top five scorer of all time, no question. He has all the offensive tools, and more importantly, is an outstanding leader and high character guy. Great pick.

With the 2^nd overall pick, Team Oetinger selects: LeBron James

My take: Let’s see, hands down the best all-around player in the game, the reigning Finals MVP, and only 27 years old? Yes please. It seems redundant to go over LeBron’s ability, but I’m in a boastful mood. He is the most explosive athlete in the game, an offensive force around the rim with a developed jump shot. He can create for others with his elite court vision, which makes him a matchup nightmare. And he is the best wing defender in the game today. I had to think about this pick for about .07 seconds.

With the 3^rd overall pick, Team Lamonica selects: Derrick Rose

Adam: The youngest MVP ever, an unselfish scorer who plays defense. He is literally the perfect package of youth, talent, repertoire, attitude, relatively soft cap hit, and a superstar that wants to win.

My take: Before Rose’s ACL tear in last year’s playoffs, this would be a much easier pick. That being said, assuming he fully recovers, there aren’t many stars with better character than D-Rose. And in today’s fast-paced game point guards are at a premium, and Rose is among the finest in the league.

With the 4^th overall pick, Team Arena selects: Dwight Howard

CJ: I chose Howard for two reasons: dominance in the paint, and physical presence on defense.

My take: Dwight is a very high value pick. He is far and away the best big man in the NBA, though somewhat by default. His post game still needs a ton of work, and after so long in the league I’m beginning to doubt he really cares enough to improve it. But his impact on the defensive end is unmatched, and if paired with the right teammates, he can be an outstanding cornerstone for a championship team. Just make sure your team plays in a big market, or he’ll sabotage your entire organization.

With the 5^th overall pick, Team Fisher selects: Kevin Love

Joe: Great rebounder, very capable of shooting the ball. Averages a double double every season, and should continue to do so.

My take: Love is continuously underrated, in part because his game is not flashy at all. Call it the Duncan Syndrome of you will. His only noticeable flaw is his defense, but he appears to be working on that, and his positioning is generally good. I will overlook the fact that he shares his last name with your girlfriend.

Round 2

With the sixth overall pick, Team Fisher selects: Rajon Rondo

Joe: A pass-first point guard, and one of the quickest in the league. Great driving ability. Shot also improving.

My take: Solid, solid pick. Young guy whose contract, at $11 million per year, doesn’t kill you. He showed his potential in the playoffs this year and throws up some ridiculous stat lines, like his 44 point, 10 assist, 8 rebound night against the Heat in game 2. Can be a bit of a head case, but should keep Kevin Love happy with his outstanding passing ability.

With the seventh overall pick, Team Arena selects: Steve Nash.

CJ: I picked Nash for his ability to penetrate and make plays, as well as for his leadership experience.

My take: Well, we’ve found our first questionable pick of the night. He is 38 years old. I shouldn’t have to say much more than that. On the bright side, there isn’t a higher character guy in the league, and he should provide a great example for Dwight Howard.

With the eighth overall pick, Team Lamonica selects: Blake Griffin

Adam: More youth, added size, a lot of upside, and a great pairing with Rose. At $7 million per year, he gives me a lot of leeway.

My take: The idea of Rose and Blake running the fast break together is mind-blowing. And I really admire his hustle and rebounding ability. But I have major concerns about his defense. For a player of his athleticism, 0.7 blocks per game is inexcusable. But if he develops his jump shot and works a bit harder on defense, this is an excellent pick.

With the ninth overall pick, Team Oetinger selects: Anthony Davis

My take: They say defense wins championships. Taking that in mind, I took the best defensive prospect we’ve seen since Greg Oden (minus the injury concerns). The Unibrow is a high character player with elite shot-blocking and a surprisingly good jump shot.While he needs to add strength and bulk to his skinny frame, they said the same thing about Kevin Garnett when he was drafted. And if Davis continues to work hard, that’s exactly the type of player I can see him developing into.

With the tenth overall pick, Team O’Toole selects: Eric Gordon

Sean:  A 23 year-old scoring machine who can fill it up from anywhere and comes at a low price; very underrated due to his injuries the past few years but he's an All-Star waiting to happen. He also played Michael Jordan's son in Space Jam.

My take: A guy that isn’t necessarily mentioned with the best young players in the game, but he definitely should be. While injuries are a bit of a concern, he is definitely a guy who can put up a bunch of points, and plays solid D as well. With him and Durant on the same team, you’re going to need a distributing point guard to get both of them their shots.