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.