It's time to break down the picks and analyze the way things went in comparison to what was expected.
Let's begin by saying the PCTI family let themselves get played like a fool by the Nurse. He clearly takes personal pleasure in fooling people, so the fact that everyone thought he would base every decision he makes in the draft around not getting one person is insane.. That is, until you remember his ongoing grudge that Abe finally smoothed over over 15 years, and realize that it's absolutely something he would do. In my eyes, the nail in the coffin was when Abe re-started the feud by demanding he not play with Thompson because of the undefeated records they both fancy. My guess is that Thompson was thinking that same way long before Abe said something.
#1-Abe to Skillz:
Good find for Skillz, knowing what you are getting every game with Abe. The battle for the undefeated title will add extra motivation to a guy who already goes full throttle, so expect for him to come in the same way he always does; in great shape, motivated and ready to win.
#2-Brat to Dr:
I think this picks rationale comes down to two key components: The Brat and Dr.'s claim they have never lost anything (ever) when competing as teammates, and The Brat's offseason claims that he will be eating this offseason and plans to come in more muscular than ever (bad news for the Stick Figures squad).
#3-Cockboy to Dr:
No longer playing against the stifling LFTK defense, one must wonder if he will be able to roam as free creating havor as he did in PCTI3, but expect very limited downside from the lunch pail mentality CockStick brings to his PCTI4 squad.
#4-Beas to Skillz:
The one member of TLFK who's stock did not plummet on draft day, Beas earned his draft slot with superior work on the glass, along with being extremely efficient offensive and defensively during the first annual draft day hoops game. You can't help but to wonder if Beas getting this contract is similar to the way Andray Blatche did when his team was out of contention and he started putting up big numbers.
#5-Pitto to Skillz:
Pitto is just better when playing with Skillz, in so many words claiming he can't perform if he isn't on his team. I guess that is a testament to that superior level of competitiveness he claims he has. Regardless, there is no doubt he performs better when in the proper "system."
#6-Sabin to Dr:
A lot of hooping and hollering over this pick but the only thing that really needs to be said is that it was a great pick by Joe not only from a value perspective, but for fooling everyone, which was equally as important to him, if not more than getting good value. Sabin will come prepared and ready to show his captain he made the right decision.
#7-28/14/44 to Dr:
Regardless of what Ben Wilson ever does on the court, there is no denying the fact that everyone wants to believe he is going to blow up every game, hence why this is the absolute lowest he will ever drop. In PCTI, if you get over 25 pts from a player in a game, chances are that team will win. If Wilson puts up one of those games, he has earned his draft slot.
#8-Fruit Man to Skillz:
The offseason hyperextended elbow on his shooting arm has helped the Fruit's jumper, in turn helping his draft stock. One can't help but to wonder if this is a classic case of Henry Rowlingardner, where once his arm recovers he will go right back to being Mr. Irrelevant offensively.
#9-Run BMC to Skillz:
The breakout candidate (according to Michael Beasley) is poised to prove his supporters right, throwing away the steady performances and trading it in for his first All-Tournament team selection. Changing the weekend from the stupid golf tournament that is on over PCTI will help McKinney stay focused and stop annoying me, helping all parties involved.
#10-Spot Stick to Dr:
Look for Spotlight to regress in every offensive category, rededicating himself to the glass in an effort to showcase what he preached to anyone that would listen in PCTI3.
#11-Bruisestick to Dr:
The newfound silent assassin's free fall finally ends. Expect a huge chip on the Stickman's shoulders, bringing out the PCTI2 angry/mad Bruise. That being said, the Stick's performance all hinges on whether or not he shows up to PCTI touching a basketball, which he claims every year he will, but my guess is that he won't. He also has been suffering from a knee injury from kickball, making everyone wonder where his priorities lie.
#12-Hops to Skillz:
Best pick in the draft. Anytime you can get the top leadership/clutch guy this late can't be underestimated. At some point, Hops will prove his intangibles mean more than his stats.
#13-Smo to Skillz:
Looks like the rim will belong to Skillz team in PCTI4. With a team full of shooters, Smo's passing will finally be on display for everyone to see. For Smo to take the next step in PCTI, he will need to get his once world famous righty hook back in his repoitoire. If he does so, expect him to take a huge leap in the draft next year, and also to be a huge impact player on his team in PCTI4.
#14-Wes-Fil-A to Dr:
Either touch a basketball or exercise just once for PCTI4. Once Wes gives me a reason to say something nice, I will do so.
In regards to Pitto: I like his game, I don't like his arrogance, which unfortunately appears to be coming back.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Bam breaks down the draft
Firstly, let me apologize for not being able to attend the draft either in person or via webcam. It killed me to learn of the developments second hand because as everyone knows, I only like to use my dominant hand.
Let me start by commending each captain. Not only were they both totally deserving of the honor of leading a team in to competition, each did a nice job of drafting a competitive team, or so it seems to appear. In fact, after looking over each roster several times this weekend and letting my thoughts marinate for several days, I'm still not sure who the favored team should be.
With that said, I will now go position by position to break down which team has the edge in individual matchups. I've not thought this through, so I will learn who has the edge as I do it.
Positions are mostly irrelevant in PCTI, but then again so is this blog, the photographer and the videos...so no point in dwelling on that. Let us continue.
(No centers listed because I envision each team's center coming off the bench)
Forwards
Abe vs. Cockboy
Abe is the unquestioned supreme talent in PCTI while Donley is billed as the next up-and-coming star. Mr. Cock averages a nice 10 and 5 stat line while Abe comes in with a staggering 15 and 7 average over a larger sample size.
Edge: Abe. There's not a player the PhD could have drafted that would have matched Abe, but it was his choice to decline the first overall pick. Donley first proved his unwavering self confidence when he left PCTI II early and did not fear a possible backlash from his teammates. He reaffirms it with every new sleeveless shirt picture he uploads on to Facebook, which happens to be every picture he uploads on to Facebook. He'll need this self confidence to not get discouraged battling a guy who makes difficult shots and never gets fatigued, regardless of who and what he does the night before.
Forwards
The Great Bambieno vs. Skillz
Both guys value is in doing the little things, though Skillz is more committed to it than me. Not counting Smo's 10-19 shooting from III, Skillz and I have the two highest shooting percentages in PCTI. He's a 9 and 9 man while I come in at 12 and 7. Both of us are known for playing with a little nasty streak. Skillz gets on his teammates in an aggressive though mostly constructive way. I get on everyone but my teammates (except for one time with Pitto) in a destructive, bratty way. Together we are the mutual funds of PCTI, we'll never make you rich but we're a safe investment.
Edge: This one's close, but I'm going to give the edge to Skillz. Not because I'm being modest, I think I've proven repeatedly that nobody is a bigger defender of me than me. However, Skillz out played me last year and has played better than me when we're matched up against each other. I'll play better this year than I did a year ago and there's always durability questions with Skillz, but the edge is still his.
Small forward
Sabin vs Beas
This is where the matchups start to become less clear due to the evident size differential between the two teams. Beas exceeded his total from the first three geams in a 21 point effort in game four of PCTI III, along the way capturing the heart of everyone else in the gym. Beas's brilliant 21 point, 7 assist, 6 rebound game was impressive, though it came in the most lightly contested game in PCTI history. In comparison, his career game only slightly trumped Sabin's AVERAGE stat line from the weekend of 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists.
Edge: Sabin. I've been friends with Joe for half my life and I was shocked he picked Sabin. I've never seen him bury a hatchet and I know that's not lost on Jeff. Joe's reward for such an out of character move will almost certainly be an incredibly committed Sabin who will do anything to justify the choice. Not bad considering Sabin out played everyone in PCTI despite our entire team taking it personally every single time he made a positive play.
Off Guard
Ben Wilson vs Fruit Man Dan
Two guys coming off of dreadful performances in PCTI III. Combined they shot 5-30 in day two. Rather than dwelling on the negatives or trying to use a fine tooth comb to dig up a positive from last year, it's best just to throw it out. So what do we expect this year? Ben's results have diminished each year but the Fruit Sickle has yet to experience sustained individual success in any PCTI to date.
Edge: Ben. Do this simple exercise: close your eyes and imagine the best possible game each could play...with Ben it's still a 20 plus point scoring outburst. With Fruit Man Dan, I don't know what it is. Dan is an intangible, locker room sort of guy. Problem is there's no use for that in PCTI, especially after three years. Off-season reports have and I expect will continue to tell us that Ben is out of shape and not what he once was, while Dan always seems to play really well any time he gets together with PCTI people...except for in PCTI. At some point the question has to be asked: With how much he cares and helps guide PCTI (and we're all thankful for it) is FMD psyching himself out of PCTI? Is he his own worst enemy? Can he get out of his own way and just let it rip when the big weekend rolls around this April?
Defacto point guards
Dr. Joe vs. Pitto
Both guys played brilliantly for much of III. Pitto vowed to play on both ends of the floor and he certainly improved greatly on defense. He continued to prove he's one of the most efficient offensive players and a constant threat to score, which goes a long way in PCTI, where you can't run a play when you really need a bucket. Joe finally found a way to make his advantage athletically over most of us pay dividends and was the runaway MVP. No two guys in PCTI benefit more from positive momentum and a lack of adversity and it showed as they took full advantage of an opponent that was beat down.
Edge: PhD. Joe has the benefit of drafting his own team and (as everyone naturally does) surrounded himself with guys that cater to his game. Joe plays well with a chip on his shoulder but he plays even better once he believes that he's the best player in the gym. After last year, I'm sure that's deservedly how he's feeling. Pitto has regressed this off season and is back to pulling more childish stunts. This is important: our team has the angry guys, the guys who are most likely to snap. Me, Bruiser and Jeff and to a lesser extent, Joe and Donley. The other team has more of the relaxed personalities. Each could be a blessing or a curse, time will tell. But, do you really think our team is going to just stand around and let Pitto prance around the court having the time of his life like he did a year ago? I doubt it. This year, it's only natural that Pitto will once more have to deal with adversity. My guess is that even with his legal guardian by his side, he'll react in vintage Pitto form.
Bench smalls
Spotlight vs. BMAC
Talk about hype. Spotstick came in to PCTI last year and FUCKING CRUSHED IT. Top to bottom, Spotstick and Beas redefined what it meant to be in PCTI. McKinney year in year out looks better once the DVDs came out than he did in person, making him annually the MVP of the winter months. On the floor Spotlight actually played a similar style to McKinney, except he did it slightly more efficiently and a heck of a lot more demonstratively. Both guys played three good games and one bad game and finished with a 7 point average. McKinney outboarded Spot but shot lower percentages.
Edge: Spotlight. This one and the next matchup are the two toughest to judge. I'm going to give the edge to Spotstick because planning this thing can be a big time distraction when it comes to concentrating on your play once it's game time. I do worry a little about Spot traveling from the east coast to the southwest, especially since he'll likely try to go out and reestablish the Quad Pod's relevance as PCTI's strongest stable. Also, all joking aside, Spots game is still greatly shaped by our high school's system. Playing on a team with a strong Fightin Irish presence is to his (and Joe and I's) advantage.
Bench Bigs
Smo vs. Bruiser
The two guys with the longest competitive history in PCTI are set to lock horns once more. Smo actually bestowed Bruiser with his nickname. A year ago Bruiser played one of the better halves for a big man in PCTI history and then, with the help of his teammates, spent the rest of the weekend making sure nobody would ever remember it. Smo turned in to the forgotten rookie of PCTI III, although I think where he was drafted this year will ultimately prove to be the best pick in terms of value of the entire draft. In both of these guys' defense, when games get out of hand in PCTI it turns in to a jump shooting contest. That leaves very little motivation or opportunity to pitch in for a post that knows nobody wants to see him step out and shoot a jumper when you're down by 20. These two are most effective when helping a good team play it's very best.
Edge: PUSH. Bruiser benefits from having every post but Smo on his team. Smo benefits from not playing on a team that sucks. Bruiser's upside is greater but Smo is the steadier player. Count me among those who believe the fouls in III will prove to be a fluke. This one is too close for even me to call.
Walk-ons
Hops vs Wes+fast food or restaurant chain
Wes did just enough last year to prove that 1. he was aware of the abuse he was taking in the off season 2. he wasn't going to do a damn thing about it. Hops made four shots in PCTI III to Wes's three. While AHop wrestles for control of front office power with the Fruit Man, Wes wrestles with the elephant in the room that PCTI may enact the NBA's amnesty clause on him if he shows up once again unprepared.
Edge: Hops. Both guys are extremely likeable and can drastically swing momentum by canning one wide open jumper a game. Who's more likely to do it? Hops, I guess.
Let me start by commending each captain. Not only were they both totally deserving of the honor of leading a team in to competition, each did a nice job of drafting a competitive team, or so it seems to appear. In fact, after looking over each roster several times this weekend and letting my thoughts marinate for several days, I'm still not sure who the favored team should be.
With that said, I will now go position by position to break down which team has the edge in individual matchups. I've not thought this through, so I will learn who has the edge as I do it.
Positions are mostly irrelevant in PCTI, but then again so is this blog, the photographer and the videos...so no point in dwelling on that. Let us continue.
(No centers listed because I envision each team's center coming off the bench)
Forwards
Abe vs. Cockboy
Abe is the unquestioned supreme talent in PCTI while Donley is billed as the next up-and-coming star. Mr. Cock averages a nice 10 and 5 stat line while Abe comes in with a staggering 15 and 7 average over a larger sample size.
Edge: Abe. There's not a player the PhD could have drafted that would have matched Abe, but it was his choice to decline the first overall pick. Donley first proved his unwavering self confidence when he left PCTI II early and did not fear a possible backlash from his teammates. He reaffirms it with every new sleeveless shirt picture he uploads on to Facebook, which happens to be every picture he uploads on to Facebook. He'll need this self confidence to not get discouraged battling a guy who makes difficult shots and never gets fatigued, regardless of who and what he does the night before.
Forwards
The Great Bambieno vs. Skillz
Both guys value is in doing the little things, though Skillz is more committed to it than me. Not counting Smo's 10-19 shooting from III, Skillz and I have the two highest shooting percentages in PCTI. He's a 9 and 9 man while I come in at 12 and 7. Both of us are known for playing with a little nasty streak. Skillz gets on his teammates in an aggressive though mostly constructive way. I get on everyone but my teammates (except for one time with Pitto) in a destructive, bratty way. Together we are the mutual funds of PCTI, we'll never make you rich but we're a safe investment.
Edge: This one's close, but I'm going to give the edge to Skillz. Not because I'm being modest, I think I've proven repeatedly that nobody is a bigger defender of me than me. However, Skillz out played me last year and has played better than me when we're matched up against each other. I'll play better this year than I did a year ago and there's always durability questions with Skillz, but the edge is still his.
Small forward
Sabin vs Beas
This is where the matchups start to become less clear due to the evident size differential between the two teams. Beas exceeded his total from the first three geams in a 21 point effort in game four of PCTI III, along the way capturing the heart of everyone else in the gym. Beas's brilliant 21 point, 7 assist, 6 rebound game was impressive, though it came in the most lightly contested game in PCTI history. In comparison, his career game only slightly trumped Sabin's AVERAGE stat line from the weekend of 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists.
Edge: Sabin. I've been friends with Joe for half my life and I was shocked he picked Sabin. I've never seen him bury a hatchet and I know that's not lost on Jeff. Joe's reward for such an out of character move will almost certainly be an incredibly committed Sabin who will do anything to justify the choice. Not bad considering Sabin out played everyone in PCTI despite our entire team taking it personally every single time he made a positive play.
Off Guard
Ben Wilson vs Fruit Man Dan
Two guys coming off of dreadful performances in PCTI III. Combined they shot 5-30 in day two. Rather than dwelling on the negatives or trying to use a fine tooth comb to dig up a positive from last year, it's best just to throw it out. So what do we expect this year? Ben's results have diminished each year but the Fruit Sickle has yet to experience sustained individual success in any PCTI to date.
Edge: Ben. Do this simple exercise: close your eyes and imagine the best possible game each could play...with Ben it's still a 20 plus point scoring outburst. With Fruit Man Dan, I don't know what it is. Dan is an intangible, locker room sort of guy. Problem is there's no use for that in PCTI, especially after three years. Off-season reports have and I expect will continue to tell us that Ben is out of shape and not what he once was, while Dan always seems to play really well any time he gets together with PCTI people...except for in PCTI. At some point the question has to be asked: With how much he cares and helps guide PCTI (and we're all thankful for it) is FMD psyching himself out of PCTI? Is he his own worst enemy? Can he get out of his own way and just let it rip when the big weekend rolls around this April?
Defacto point guards
Dr. Joe vs. Pitto
Both guys played brilliantly for much of III. Pitto vowed to play on both ends of the floor and he certainly improved greatly on defense. He continued to prove he's one of the most efficient offensive players and a constant threat to score, which goes a long way in PCTI, where you can't run a play when you really need a bucket. Joe finally found a way to make his advantage athletically over most of us pay dividends and was the runaway MVP. No two guys in PCTI benefit more from positive momentum and a lack of adversity and it showed as they took full advantage of an opponent that was beat down.
Edge: PhD. Joe has the benefit of drafting his own team and (as everyone naturally does) surrounded himself with guys that cater to his game. Joe plays well with a chip on his shoulder but he plays even better once he believes that he's the best player in the gym. After last year, I'm sure that's deservedly how he's feeling. Pitto has regressed this off season and is back to pulling more childish stunts. This is important: our team has the angry guys, the guys who are most likely to snap. Me, Bruiser and Jeff and to a lesser extent, Joe and Donley. The other team has more of the relaxed personalities. Each could be a blessing or a curse, time will tell. But, do you really think our team is going to just stand around and let Pitto prance around the court having the time of his life like he did a year ago? I doubt it. This year, it's only natural that Pitto will once more have to deal with adversity. My guess is that even with his legal guardian by his side, he'll react in vintage Pitto form.
Bench smalls
Spotlight vs. BMAC
Talk about hype. Spotstick came in to PCTI last year and FUCKING CRUSHED IT. Top to bottom, Spotstick and Beas redefined what it meant to be in PCTI. McKinney year in year out looks better once the DVDs came out than he did in person, making him annually the MVP of the winter months. On the floor Spotlight actually played a similar style to McKinney, except he did it slightly more efficiently and a heck of a lot more demonstratively. Both guys played three good games and one bad game and finished with a 7 point average. McKinney outboarded Spot but shot lower percentages.
Edge: Spotlight. This one and the next matchup are the two toughest to judge. I'm going to give the edge to Spotstick because planning this thing can be a big time distraction when it comes to concentrating on your play once it's game time. I do worry a little about Spot traveling from the east coast to the southwest, especially since he'll likely try to go out and reestablish the Quad Pod's relevance as PCTI's strongest stable. Also, all joking aside, Spots game is still greatly shaped by our high school's system. Playing on a team with a strong Fightin Irish presence is to his (and Joe and I's) advantage.
Bench Bigs
Smo vs. Bruiser
The two guys with the longest competitive history in PCTI are set to lock horns once more. Smo actually bestowed Bruiser with his nickname. A year ago Bruiser played one of the better halves for a big man in PCTI history and then, with the help of his teammates, spent the rest of the weekend making sure nobody would ever remember it. Smo turned in to the forgotten rookie of PCTI III, although I think where he was drafted this year will ultimately prove to be the best pick in terms of value of the entire draft. In both of these guys' defense, when games get out of hand in PCTI it turns in to a jump shooting contest. That leaves very little motivation or opportunity to pitch in for a post that knows nobody wants to see him step out and shoot a jumper when you're down by 20. These two are most effective when helping a good team play it's very best.
Edge: PUSH. Bruiser benefits from having every post but Smo on his team. Smo benefits from not playing on a team that sucks. Bruiser's upside is greater but Smo is the steadier player. Count me among those who believe the fouls in III will prove to be a fluke. This one is too close for even me to call.
Walk-ons
Hops vs Wes+fast food or restaurant chain
Wes did just enough last year to prove that 1. he was aware of the abuse he was taking in the off season 2. he wasn't going to do a damn thing about it. Hops made four shots in PCTI III to Wes's three. While AHop wrestles for control of front office power with the Fruit Man, Wes wrestles with the elephant in the room that PCTI may enact the NBA's amnesty clause on him if he shows up once again unprepared.
Edge: Hops. Both guys are extremely likeable and can drastically swing momentum by canning one wide open jumper a game. Who's more likely to do it? Hops, I guess.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
You mean Edmund?
I just can't put my finger on who that little brat from the movie Narnia reminds me of...
The Brat Strikes Again
A little forewarning for either captain planning to pass on The Brat. Either a forewarning, or worthy of a good laugh.
Final Draft Details
For those of you who did not see my email yesterday, the draft will be conducted tomorrow night via a Google Hangout @ 9:15 pm central time. All that is necessary to "Hangout" is to be signed up for Google +. Hope to see you tune in.Thursday, October 25, 2012
Bad Boy In a Fruit Stand?
Nothing about this guy pertains to the word fruit... Or maybe it does, and just doesn't want anyone to know it.
Pro's: No nonsense, extremely mysterious, great with the ladies, off the charts bottled beer drinking form, silent assassin.
Con's: So far has a lady in every single PCTI city, bringing the idea into question as to if this was a selection that brings value in the room, or if it brings value because he's never in it.
Welcome to the Fruit Stand Mr. Mysterious Brian Eskildsen.
Value Pick at #8.
Sabe's Picks
With the 5th and 6th picks in the 2012 PCTI roommate draft, Sabedizzle selects Big Bambi and Big Ben Wilson for room Big and Classy.
When it comes to roommate choices, I decided to choose 2 brothers who are big, classy, and hairy...except for me and BC. Ben and I have shown unbelievable chemistry on the court as we have led our PCTI teams to an 0-3 record, while BC has shown me how to get a meaningless double-double in a losing effort.
In addition, both Big Ben and Big Bambi showed tremendous class at last year's PCTI by thanking me for laundry detail and for hosting Friday night dinner at my place. That type of class goes a long way with me. No trades necessary, don't even ask. Room Big and Classy is set.
#GROAT
editor's note: This was posted by AHOP, but was just a copy and paste job (highly skilled at formatting excel for blog posts). This in no way expresses the opinion or interest of the poster. ~AHOP, QP
When it comes to roommate choices, I decided to choose 2 brothers who are big, classy, and hairy...except for me and BC. Ben and I have shown unbelievable chemistry on the court as we have led our PCTI teams to an 0-3 record, while BC has shown me how to get a meaningless double-double in a losing effort.
In addition, both Big Ben and Big Bambi showed tremendous class at last year's PCTI by thanking me for laundry detail and for hosting Friday night dinner at my place. That type of class goes a long way with me. No trades necessary, don't even ask. Room Big and Classy is set.
#GROAT
editor's note: This was posted by AHOP, but was just a copy and paste job (highly skilled at formatting excel for blog posts). This in no way expresses the opinion or interest of the poster. ~AHOP, QP
Pick #7
With the seventh overall selection of the
PCTI Roommate Draft©, Spotlight says screw the cyberbully Wes Murray and
selects the guy he had #1 on his non-QP Big Board:
Cockboy, welcome back to “The Library.”
You’ll be receiving a detailed Spotlight reading list approximately two weeks
before PCTI so we can start the first ever PCTI Book Club©.
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