GMTR Mock Draft rounds 2+3

Lopez & Murphy

Well, I wanted Jose Calderon if I got Chris Paul in a Head to Head league - NO plays 2 games in weeks 5 and 6, while Toronto plays 4 games in each of those weeks. Since I am counting on doing solidly in assists, I wanted the back-up for that. So my initial plan was to get another top tier PG (with Calderon being my #1 choice) and pairing him with whoever was left of Brook Lopez or Troy Murphy. I figured that whichever PF/C I got would start to mold my team off of the Chris Paul framework. With Lopez, I'd get some boards, great FG%, very good blocks, and very little drop off in FT%. With Murphy, I'd get the boards, FG% that is not a drag, and those delicious threes from a big man that I know that teams who had drafted two guards in the first two rounds would target (teams with picks 3, 5, 6, and 10).

But once Calderon came off the board with the seventh pick of the second round, I had to change my strategery. Calderon is a part of a tier of PG's worthy of being drafted in round 2. Luckily, the next 4 picks before mine were PG-eligible players - Billups, Kidd, Johnson, and Harris. But those players are all under 45% from the field. I am looking to hold onto FG% with Chris Paul as long as I can. I love Lopez this year because of that. And if he can block 2 shots a night, so much the better.

The first pick of the third round may be the one I regret down the road, but I like it from a league strategy point. 10 guards were taken in the 22 picks between my #1 and #2. Three teams took 2 guards (Johnson/Wade, Billups/Bryant, Williams/Nash), along with teams that came back with guards after drafting Durant and Granger. That's 5 teams I know could have used Troy Murphy in round 3. One of them will have to take Al Harrington at some point for their center, and that will pull down their already damaged FG% (by the likes of Harris, Billups, etc.) Also, Lopez, Murphy, and a good for a guard rebounder Paul put me right up there with teams going big ball.

Basically, I'm going a little roto in this H2H league. This year, I think that's a good idea with Chris Paul and it's because of their schedule. This year, New Orleans has the most weeks with 4 games, 13. That also means that they have the most minimum game weeks, 4. So in those max game weeks, you can load up on assists and steals with Paul by himself, then add on the big man's work with the PF's and C's. In those 2 game weeks, it's like a pooch punt in assists and steals (CP3 could still blow up in 2 games though) but you've got the big-ball cats to fall back on. So even in those min game weeks, you can be 5-4, 6-3, or even 7-2. Now if this year New Orleans had a schedule like Denver (no 2 game weeks, least amount of 4 game weeks), I might lean more toward a strategy of guys who can build more on what Paul can do - steals, 3's, points, assists if they are there.

There were a bunch of guys who I was thinking of taking at 24 and 25. I'll discuss them in the comments after they are picked in reality. For a round by round discussion, check out Give Me The Rock recaps written by 2nd best Filipino fantasy guy (sorry E, but this guy is living the fantasy). Later haters!

PS When you put in "Mario Lopez" into Google image, you have to go down a good ways to find one where he's wearing a shirt. I'm scared to do a search with safe mode off.