Power Rankings With a Twist

A new twist this week, just to keep things original – I am highlighting each team’s ‘best’ and ‘worst’ picks at the auction. This week's rankings are brought to you by Devastatin' Dave the Turntable Slave (say no to drugs!)

#1 - Moop Resurrected (2)
Best Pick: Richard Jefferson $4 – 24ppg is good for 8th in the league right now, and his percentages are strong. Kevin Martin has impressed as well, but Jefferson was an absolute steal.
Worst Pick: Jason Richardson $19 – right now he’s playing like a poor man’s Dick Jefferson, but he cost almost five times as much. His value so far comes from 3PT% and some steals, he’ll need to pick up his scoring and rebounding. His 56% from the line makes D Howard look good.

#2 - The Flux (1)
Best Pick: Chris Kaman $6 – so far the steal of the draft overall, Kaman has been beastly on the boards, grabbing over 13 per game. He’s also added scoring to his repertoire, and has greatly improved in blocks as well as FT. Yahoo ranks him as the 2nd best center so far this year. Honorable mention goes to Rashard Lewis, the most efficient scorer in the NBA.
Worst Pick: Samuel Dalembert $10 – for 4 straight seasons he’s been projected to take the step to the next level… and for 4 straight seasons he has disappointed.

#3 - Loser's Row (8)
Best Pick: Manu Ginobili $7 – Currently the 4th ranked player in Yahoo, Ginobili has improved almost every aspect of his game this year, while still averaging under 29 minutes. Generally one of the most overlooked fantasy players, Manu is beginning to turn some heads and should not be ignored.
Worst Pick: Stephon Marbury $5 – Another year of regression for 30-year-old Stephon, not to mention he’s also un-coachable. The Knicks need to learn a lesson from Marbury’s last 3 teams, get rid of him and you’re a playoff team!

#4 - Mikey's Roofies (3)
Best Pick: Marcus Camby $50 – Currently the top ranked center in Yahoo, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks a finger or a hip due to advanced, degenerative Marfan Syndrome.
Worst Pick: Raja Bell $2 – not a huge gamble, but frustrating injuries and shot selection have given him negative value in this league.

#5 - The Misers (9)
Best Pick: Andrei Kirilenko $14 – would have been Paul but for the injury, so by default Kirilenko becomes the Miser’s value pick. He’s stuffing the stat line once again – he ranks 3rd overall in the league with 2.8 blocks, and his 6.2 assists are 2nd best among forwards.
Worst Pick: Ben Wallace $14 – he’s starting to show some flashes, but the Bulls really need to start picking things up very soon. Big Ben is shooting 36% from the field and the free throw line.

#6 - Mama Looch (6)
Best Pick: Jason Terry $18 – His percentages have always been solid, but right now they’re almost tops in the league (besides Nash). He’s thriving in the bench role for Dallas, averaging a career high 20.4ppg.
Worst Pick: Andrea Bargnani $5 – looks like everyone’s auction sleeper isn’t quite ready to take that next step. I still predict a late-season surge from the gangly Roman, though.

#7 - Mighty Mullets (4)
Best Pick: Andrew Bynum $2 – Barely 20 years old and nearly averaging a double-double, there’s nowhere to go but up for this youngster. His situation can only get better because the bums he competes with for minutes (Mihm, Brown) will soon fade. Granger and Gay are both worth a mention here, too.
Worst Pick: Pau Gasol $71 – The wily Spaniard is trying to avoid career-lows in just about every statistical category with the Memphis offense operating at full Gay.

#8 - Cardiff Giant (5)
Best Pick: Brendan Haywood $3 – Looks like the injury to Etan Thomas makes Haywood a viable fantasy center for the first time ever. The 7th year veteran is no star, but he is finally getting consistent minutes for Washington, which is the difference.
Worst Pick: Marco Bellinelli $1 – funny name, but not yet ready for the big time.

#9 - Best Team Ever (11)
Best Pick: Leandro Barbosa $5 – Extra opportunities due to injuries have given him the chance to shoot the lights out in Phoenix. He should be starting alongside Nash, regardless of Raja Bell’s injury status.
Worst Pick: Andre Iguodala $59 – Still averaging 5+ turnovers, and he hasn’t improved his scoring ability from last season.

#10 - Blue Balls (7)
Best Pick: Ronnie Brewer – The reverse accidental pick turns out to be a gem for the Balls. Brewer is 2nd in the league in steals and shooting nearly 52%. Honorable mention to C-eligible Al Harrington, who is having a career year.
Worst Pick: Gilbert Arenas $82 – We didn’t know too much about his injury going into the auction, but now it’s looking like it will affect his performance. I really hope one of the league’s most exciting players can return to top form.

#11 - Yom Kippur at Joel's (12)
Best Pick: Shaquille O’Neal $3 – Still averaging 15 and 7 with nearly 2 blocks and great FG%, apparently the Diesel isn’t just running on fumes. His limited PT means he doesn’t hurt you in FT% or TO’s as much, either.
Worst Pick: Kevin Durant $36 – He’ll be great in at least one category this season – points. Unfortunately, his horrific percentages and turnovers more than negate his positive effect on our favorite Jew team.

#12 - The Burning Sensation (10)
Best Pick: Zydrunas Ilgauskas $5 – The 7-foot-3 Russkie has been sipping from the fountain of youth lately, averaging over 12 boards in his 10th season, having never averaged more than 9 for a season. He’s also playing more minutes than ever before, at age 32. Honorable mention to Al Jefferson, $43 is a steal for a 20 and 11 center.
Worst Pick: Channing Frye $4 – If you count Rasheed, TBS drafted 5 centers on auction day. Four of them are solid as hell, the 5th was a disaster, and was dropped on the first night of the season. Honorable mention to Hinrich and his atrocious shooting numbers, but I believe he will turn it around.

I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Power Rankings. If you didn’t, well you can start your own Power Rankings, to try and piss me off. It’s not gonna help your team, though…