5.2. midge - Jason Kidd
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd

Kidd is a proven winner in Savage (7 titles, though no crowns) and this is by far the farthest he has fallen. I have him over a ton of guards who have gone already. I know midge is worried about his eFG, but Kidd's passing is going to bring the overall assist game on this team to another level. Plus he can defend, so you don't need to worry as much about finding the perfect partner as much as if you had taken, say, Jamal Murray.

5.3. berkelon - Michael Porter
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ

After last season, MPJ now has three crowns. On the right team, he's so, so good. I'm a fan of the fit here with Wade able to shoulder defensive responsibilities, and Bird is no slouch there either.

5.4. riftonapple - Mike Conley
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley

I appreciate Conley in Savage, having taken him thrice and finishing 2, 3, 4 - he has yet to win it all but has quite a few top 5 finishes. He and Jrue are a nice fit, as combined they should be able to give you a solid 48 minutes or so across five seasons. Choosing Conley's seasons is always tough as there are only a few no-brainers, but you can figure it out when the rest of the roster is set. Helps address some of the uncleanliness I mentioned at the Buck pick. I like it.

5.5. jjmurphy1127 - Eric Bledsoe
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe

Unlike Conley, I am not as big a fan of Bledsoe. His numbers are good, but I would rather have a guard who turned it over less, and could make 3s at a decent clip. Not seeing a lot of 3s on this team, though it is still early. Has the makings of a very interesting offense.

5.6. beloud - Kevon Looney
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney

I like Looney, but would rather get him in the sixth or ideally seventh. Good fit with this roster, but I think there are other guys available later who can perform similarly, if not better. 1 title, 0 crowns. This team is definitely projecting well on the boards, though.

5.7. jcred5 - Chris Andersen
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman

Really nice pick, Timelord and Birdman are going to be a top tier low usage SF rotation, and I assume you will be letting Allen switch with them. Loving the roster so far.

5.8. ncmusician_7 - Montrezl Harrell
Roster: Diesel, Marion, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell

Trez is so good in Savage - I was surprised to see he has 0 crowns, though 5 titles and 5 top-4 finishes. I'm liking the forward rotation. Despite not loving the Stockton pick, I'm liking this team.

5.9. 20ks - Kenneth Faried
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Faried

The man, the legend, the Manimal. While Faried has been slightly below average, he also has a crown and three titles to his name. I think this reflects how he is very talented, but needs to built around properly. Wish he had a few more minutes, but his per/48 is fantastic, and there's a lot more to his game than just the offensive rebounding. Plus the sim doesn't really know how short he is. This is around the right ADP for him.

5.10. jethroeg - Donyell Marshall
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh

Another stellar pick from jethro. Donyell has a whopping 8 titles and 2 crowns. The eFG isn't going to blow you away, but he's great all-around, often from the 2 spot, plus he can really sink 3s in a few of those seasons (not that this squad needs it). I think he's way better than Klay, and am going to pretend he went in the 4th and Klay went in the 5th.

5.11. edsortails - Pau Gasol
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau

Really nice partner to both Davis and Capela, as he's got usage in some seasons, and other than steal the ball or make 3s, he does everything else too. His foul rate (and TO%) given his size and profile is really incredible. I want to see how the rest of the guards and forwards shake out, but I love the big men.

5.12. uptowngbv - Marques Johnson
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques

Not a huuuge fan of Marques, personally I lump him in with Moncrief as guys who are pretty solid but don't do enough for me to want them where they go. But the man has two crowns from around this ADP, so take that with a grain of salt.

I suppose he helps with your defensive rotation, but his inability to switch onto the 1 sometimes annoys me. With Ant and Harden able to switch 1-3, there may be enough there to make it work. I'm a little skeptical of this team at this point.

5.13. tarheel1991 - Joakim Noah
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah

Like the pick. Noah is a really solid player who can fit in on almost any roster, and Embiid does need some defensive help. This continues to be a very scary squad.

5.14. kammeyer - Nikola Vucevic
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic

Hm. I do like Vucevic, and he replicates what Sabonis does fairly well. But there are only two good defenders on this team, and Sabonis and Vucevic are really bad. This team's path to success is going to be through the offense, but I'm just not sure if the offense will be good enough.

Still, this is a nice spot for Vucevic - lower than he usually goes. It's more about lingering unhappiness from the Sabonis pick.

5.15. ysw128 - Robert Parish
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish

Well, if you're going to wait until the fifth to land your first big man, you could do a lot worse than Parish. The 80 season is fantastic (though foul heavy) and while he falls off from there, he's still very good through 5 - albeit decreasingly effective on defense. I think there are enough great pieces here that with sold continued drafting, I can see this being successful.

5.16. oddson - Dale Davis
Roster: Superman, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis

I personally think this is a little high for Davis, but with only 1 (or 2?) big men on the squad so far, I don't hate it. I assume we're looking at McHale/Davis/Howard, which is going to be a really tough group to score on. And this team has plenty of offense through 5, too. I have both Walt and Davis as slight reaches but still think this team is looking good.

5.17. steelers821 - Bobby Portis
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Portis

Portis vs Collins was covered in the Discord; I can understand there may be some edge cases where Portis may possibly be preferable to Collins, but I don't see enough here to feel that way. I will paste below what I said in the chat, though dh made some good points in rebuttal.

I think Collins is significantly better than Portis. Collins has two seasons better than any of Portis', and his fourth best season is better than Portis' second best season. Plus in Portis' best season he plays less than 20 minutes, which Collins exceeds in all of his five best seasons.

Portis rebounds slightly better and shoots slightly better from 3 that one season, but is worse in every other way. Bobby's fouled rate is awful for his profile. He has never won a crown, only come top 4 once, and is consistently overdrafted across multiple league types, IMO.

Time to prove me wrong steelers!

5.18. raggedclaws - Kristaps Porzingis
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis

After my first three picks I figured I would go offense on 2 of my next 3, and had a shortlist roughly comprising of Vuc, Jonas, KP, Amare, and Dirk. Dirk finally went - won't get to him for a bit in the evals - but I was still happy to land KP here - and fearful he wouldn't get back to me in the sixth. I really needed some 3s and didn't know I'd be landing Jamal Murray.

I don't know if I'd call him underrated at this point, but KP is so good at Savage. Big man defense, 3s, really low TOs. Main weaknesses are below average rebounding for a 4 and inconsistent shooting across 5 seasons. I don't care about the shooting given the rest of his game, and next to Jonas and Gobert, I feel pretty well covered on the boards. "Only" 1 crown and 3 titles, but I expect that to rise, hopefully this season!

5.19. gerryred - Brent Barry
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry

Some people really, really like Barry. Kind of a mini Derrick White. But low usage, high eFG, mediocre defense, OK passing from the guard spot just doesn't do that much for me this high. There's other guys still undrafted at the time of this post who do that stuff better than Barry, in my opinion.

Still, I can only hate on the pick so much this late in the draft, and I appreciate him helping stretch the floor next to so many bigs.

5.20. dh555 - JaVale McGee
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale

Only 1 crown, but one of the highest average ranks in all of Savage, JaVale is an excellent piece to add this late to almost any team. This one is no exception. He's awesome, the only annoying thing about him is picking which seasons to use.

5.21. 24kpyrite - John Collins
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins

I won't spend too much time on this since I discussed Collins in the context of Portis above. Collins is awesome, and he's a steal this late, and a great fit on this team. 2 crowns for Collins, and he usually goes way higher than this. No notes. Wondering if I should have taken him.

5.22. chewy3344 - Russell Westbrook
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook

Back on team Chewy! Great pick. I haven't been brave enough to use Westbrook but I've been coming closer, and this is undeniably a good fit. When Russ and MJ share the floor it will be... interesting, but I don't think disastrous.

Westbrook keeps rising and rising in Savage, which I think is deserved, but his only crown came in the first Savage, when he went 261. I wonder how much kinoa even played him. He does also have a whopping 7 titles when taken between 88 and 137. Maybe this is a good time to point out that all the stats I'm referencing are as of Savage 22 and do not include 23. Or maybe it isn't.

5.23. dbkc - Gerald Wallace
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, G Wallace

Nice spot to land Crash. I like Wallace a lot better in single season than Savage, but 05 season alone is crazy valuable, and his next best 3 aren't too shabby either, and play a ton. No crowns yet, but 7 titles. I'm trying to pretend that picks after this one haven't happened yet. Definitely still need a PG and 3s at some point but 2-5 are covered quite well at this point!

5.24. benhoidal - Jakob Poeltl
6.1. benhoidal - Kevin Love
Roster: LeBron, Flash Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love

There are quite a few teams above that could have seriously benefited from some Love. He's awesome in Savage, with efficient offense and rebounding from multiple positions depending on the season. I haven't been able to get the most out of him the two times I've drafted Love, but he has two crowns.

Poeltl, Walton, and Mitch Rob (plus some Love, I assume) is a really nice big man rotation too. Definitely not flawless, but that's what happens when you pick first and don't get a big in either of your first two picks. I'm not nuts for Poeltl, whose low minutes and high fouls and horrible FTs hold him back somewhat, but he packs a punch and I could definitely see drafting him in the right scenario, as I've done once before. Kind of a poor man's McGee.

6.2. dbkc - Jerry West
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo

The superior Jerry. Was really hoping he'd get back to me. Jerry West is fantastic, as long as you build around him correctly, and he's a steal in the sixth - and possibly in the fifth as well. He'll take some shots from guys with better efficiency, and doesn't solve 3s for you, but he plays so many minutes - he and Crash are fantastic additions to your big men.

6.3. chewy3344 - Deandre Ayton
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, DominAyton

I like it pretty well. Not necessarily going to be the most intimidating big man defense, but I think he complements your current guys, Camby especially. He doesn't have the best track record - 4 titles, 0 crowns, a little below average results. The 25-26 season is surprisingly usable though, lands squarely in his top 3, and his 4 and 5 aren't bad either, so he may well be on the rise.

I still constantly forget he's on the Wizards. That could be a good spot for him to put up individual numbers, though, especially with Trae feeding him.

6.4. 24kpyrite - Andrew Bogut
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut

Seems like a good spot for Bogut, to me. He doesn't fit well with every team but this seems like a good landing spot, with only Zubac for bigs (right?). Hopefully your fouls, TOs, and FTs aren't looking too bad.

6.5. dh555 - Richaun Holmes
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes

I love the idea of Holmes in Savage, I'm surprised he hasn't had more success - he's been about average, but has never finished higher than fourth. I assume people don't play Holmes at guard, but maybe let him switch onto them sometimes. Nice all-around game - wish the fouls were lower, that's part of why I haven't taken him, but he doesn't kill you anywhere else. Probably gives you a healthy 7,000 minutes or so, that's not bad at all.

6.6. gerryred - Scottie Barnes
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes

I don't really like Scottie, but he's performed damn well during his brief Savage history. I think I am just underrating boards from the guard position. 23 and 25 are fantastic but the others scare me a little, but I'd wager he gives you enough value to make up for his poor shooting.

As for the fit with this team - I like it. Rebounds are going to be awesome, he fits well with Barry. This is a scary team.

6.7. raggedclaws - Jamal Murray
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray

Definitely a plan B, or even C for me. I really wanted Jerry West, who doesn't shoot 3s but does a ton of other stuff I wanted next to Jimmy. Alas. I don't usually go for the score-first, defensively challenged guards who get drafted in this range (Middleton, CJ, Jaylen, etc.) but that new Murray season is tasty, and he's got a solid top 5 season list to choose from, even if I might be looking to trim his minutes as the draft goes on. Obviously leaves me with a defensive hole at guard, but spoiler alert, I was able to address that...

I also have a personal soft spot for Murray, as a Nugs fan and as someone who's won in fantasy with him (shout out Murray Holidays), but that didn't sway my decision. I'm pretty sure. Only 2 titles and 0 crowns in the 8 times he's been drafted, but he has a handful of top 10 finishes and I think he has potential with this new season.

6.8. steelers821 - Myles Turner
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner

Well, we talked about Turner in the Discord plenty. His profile scares me a lot, but he's done very well in Savage including for steelers in the past, and it seems to be a good fit with a lot of rebounding around him. The threes are looking good after adding Myles and Bobby. Just need to fill out the guard rotation.

6.9. oddson - Enes Kanter
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter

Love it! Kanter was awesome for me last year with defensive support around him, and this looks to be a great situation as well. You can get so much value out of him in the sixth. This team is shaping up well, looking like a top half team at a minimum to me.

6.10. ysw128 - Al Horford
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford

It's never a mistake to draft Horford imo, as he can do just about anything. The fit is interesting with Wood and Mobley on board already, but that could work out well as he can play SF when minutes are open, and he or others can slide to the 4 when it's full. Good luck picking which seasons to use! It's nice that you don't have to commit yet, and can make those decisions with the benefit of a full roster.

6.11. kammeyer - Paul Pierce
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth

Not the sexiest pick, and I thought he'd have better results under his belt, but he's generally solid. I'm not sure this squad needs the usage, though, with Pippen, Tatum, Sabonis, and Vuc already shooting a ton, plus you'd like DJ shooting whenever possible. Pierce has a reasonably well rounded game outside of his shooting, so I don't hate it, but I do question this pick a little. I feel like this would have been a great fit for someone like Delon, or an SF. I guess I'm not sure how you're planning on deploying these guys.

6.12. tarheel1991 - Brandan Wright
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright

I continue to love tarheel's draft. Wright doesn't play a ton but is so, so good when he does. I think you'll be OK on rebounds but that's the one thing I'd be keeping an eye out for. Brandan is the less successful of the two Wrights, with 0 crowns which surprises me a little. He has a ton of top 5 finishes, though when he's drafted higher than this his results have been middling. So I wouldn't call it a steal necessarily, but it's the perfect spot for him.

6.13. uptowngbv - John Henson
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson

Not a huge fan of Henson this high, he definitely has a place in Savage but I consider him more of a 7th/8th rounder. His defense is his calling card but he has several ugly aspects to his game, and just doesn't play that many minutes. I'd much rather have Outlaw or Noel here, to name two guys who went after this and fill similar roles. The archetype fit here is pretty good though.

6.14. edsortails - Fat Lever
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever

You're right ed(s), Fat Lever is a fun name to say. One year I based all my teams around using his name instead of Gas Pedal but I'm guessing not everyone here knows the song lol.

I'm kind of getting fomo over this pick. The sixth *feels* high, but this may well be where Fat belongs. He has done quite well whether taken early or late, though his only crown came in Savage 3 when dbkc got him crazy late. He's a good fit with this team as you look to be doing well on 3s and eFG. I'm a fan! This team seems on track to crush the possession battle.

6.15. jethroeg - Mo Cheeks
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo

Meh. Cheeks isn't a guy I find myself targeting, and he has a pretty bad track record in Savage - even when taken significantly later than this. After he went in the 9th, 9th, and 10th the last three seasons (including twice to you), surely you could have waited at least another round or two.

I guess you just loved the fit with your roster. He's not bad next to Magic and Klay. But I just don't think he's that talented, with low usage (I guess Magic and Klay platoon at the 2?) horrible rebounding, lots of turnovers, and no threes. Just not a combination I'm fond of.

6.16. 20ks - Willis Reed
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed

I am a certified Willis Reed fan, having taken him twice but it feels like more. Ben won it all with him, too. This is also the latest he's gone. I'm not 100% sure where your usage is coming from but I'm going to assume Wallace and Reed are a platoon, along with Ewing and TBD. Reed is a good rebounder too, especially as far as guys who contribute in areas other than rebounding, so I like that fit as well. Really, other than CP3 and Ewing, your whole team is pretty nice on the boards.

Reed is great, but falls off pretty hard after his second best season - I've combined him with other guys like Cowens so that I could use their best seasons in a super stack and minimize their lesser seasons.

6.17. ncmusician_7 - Amare Stoudemire
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT

I really like Amar'e - both on and off the court, fellow tribe members unite! - and he has two crowns to his name. He needs to be on the right team, and this seems like it could be it but I'm not entirely sure - he'll be a good backup to Shaq, but if they share the court it could get messy, though I assume there will be some switching with Marion and Boucher when they're on the floor. You also already have a pretty good amount of usage, and I prefer using him as a hub on more of a defense first team. I like it, don't love it, but I could be off here.

6.18. jcred5 - Kyle Lowry
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry

Nice spot for Lowry, I'm a little surprised you didn't add another 4/5 but Lowry is really solid, especially later in the draft like he's been going lately. And I'm not too worried about your rebounding. Hopefully you add another big who can defend, or maybe you'll just have everyone switch with your excellent SFs!

6.19. beloud - Otto Porter
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, Otto Porter

Porter is awesome. Even better than Looney, in my opinion. His profile shifts a bit from season to season - sometimes he's a good rebounder, sometimes he's just OK. Sometimes he's a good defender, sometimes not. But the skills that persist - TS, towels, and stocks - are great. I like the fit a lot. I am curious where and how KD slots in among Otto and Kevon, I'd guess they comprise a 2/3 rotation but am not sure.

6.20. jjmurphy1127 - Jalen Johnson
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson

Jalen has put together four really nice seasons and probably does deserve to be drafted this high - he's not always on my shortlist around here, but I need to adapt to his 4th season and appreciate his great rebounding from the 1 (!). 25-26 is so, so good, after he had the great 24-25 season but it was low minutes. AK, Zion, Bled, and Jalen is a really interesting guard grouping, assuming they're mostly playing guard. I still don't have the highest ceiling on this squad, but I like this pick.

6.21. riftonapple - Jaren Jackson
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ

Oh, JJJ. I feel as though I'm higher than anyone else on him in single season leagues, but he's risen higher in Savage than where I'm generally comfortable taking him. 22-23 is the only season where I feel great about deploying him; 24-25 is good too but keeps the bad fouls while losing some eFG and rebounding. Every other season either shoots poorly on high volume, has really bad rebounding, or both, and the fouls stay high regardless. Has one crown but A. that was Rob and B. he was picked 175. If he can add another usable season in Utah, that would be huge. Hopefully there are boards up for grabs with Kessler out of the picture.

I think the fit here is pretty solid in the sense he can give blocks and 3s while switching with Chuck. But I still don't think he's quite good enough in Savage to merit going this high. I am also wondering just how bad the fouls are looking at this point.

6.22. berkelon - Bo Outlaw
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw

I've never really been able to decide if Outlaw is overrated in Savage or not - I've been on both sides at different times. But I like this pick, and Outlaw overall in this spot. He gives you a ton of minutes, and you seem to be solid on usage already.

6.23. midge - Jaylen Brown
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B

Meh. I don't have any strong feelings about this pick one way or another. One of these days I'll do a ranking of all these offensive guard who go in the mid rounds. Not my favorite guy, wish he shot 3s better, but sometimes you need someone like this, and he has 3 titles.

6.24. pbandj - Alvin Robertson
7.1. pbandj - Donovan Clingan
Roster: Luka, Whiteside, Irving, J Lucas, Amen, Alvin Robertson, Clingan

Alvin makes sense, as you round out the defensive part of your guard rotation. His turnovers and fouls are icky, but he's pretty solid - especially if you don't use much of him other than 85 and 90. He's brought pb 3 titles and a crown so clearly he knows what he's doing here.

Clingan... I don't know, I don't love drafting guys with literally one season this early. But it's a good one, and he may well get you a title.

7.2. midge - Zach LaVine
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine

LaVine is pretty good. I thought about him when I took Murray, though I think Jamal is clearly better. He and Jaylen form a nice shooting SG rotation next to Kidd. Some guys, like Vince, are probably a lot better though. I know you're worried about shooting but your passing is going to help out a ton with that.

7.3. berkelon - Vince Carter
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince

Vince is great. Three crowns with three different owners. I definitely think this roster is looking solidly above average. This is actually near the top of his ADP range, but I don't think that means this is incorrect by any means.

7.4. riftonapple - Kyle Anderson
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo

SloMo is a really cool Savage player. A good rebounder for his position, which helps to make up for JJJ. I'm really unsure about how to feel about this roster, I still have some concerns but there are good pieces too and the whole could be greater than the sum of its parts.

7.5. jjmurphy1127 - Paul Reed
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul

This feels slightly high for Reed to me, but he was going to be gone by your next pick, and Ben and Beloud have made great use of him in the past. That new season is nice, but I know the way I manage my teams he'd barely see the floor in non blowout situations. At least you have a ton of minutes already, so that isn't really a huge concern.

7.6. beloud - Isaiah Hartenstein
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein

My numbers don't love Hartenstein (towels, FT% I assume) but with the new season drop I don't hate this at all - he goes surprisingly deep in seasons. Team rebounding must be incredible at this point. I assume he and Duren mostly platoon, though they aren't so horrible on defense that they couldn't coexist for a few minutes a game.

7.7. jcred5 - Nerlens Noel
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel

I really love Noel, in both Savage and single season. I assume at this point that he, Timelord, and Birdman can't all fit at SF, but they probably don't exceed those minutes by too much and all rebound enough to play the 4/5 with no issues. If those guys all combined into one big player it'd be fouling out all the time, but you don't have to worry about that! He'll win a crown at some point.

Also I peeked ahead and like the two traditional bigs you took after this, I would have assumed you'd end up with something very similar.

7.8. ncmusician_7 - Anfernee Hardaway
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny

So far the only Anfernee ever taken in Savage, Penny had a ton of success in early Savage but has been less winning in recent seasons. I guess 94-95 is usable but you're really taking him for the 95-96 season, which is awesome. This is later than he's normally gone, and that season is so good (and high in minutes), I'm not going to criticize this pick even though I might not make it myself until even later.

7.9. 20ks - Ausar Thompson
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar

I'm only medium high on Ausar, and with CP3 and Clarke already being good defenders I'm not 100% sure this was the right landing spot for him. The rebounding and steals are nice too, of course, but if you're not getting full use out of his defense then I'm not in love with this pick. Guys like Delon Wright and Eddie Jones are a lot better in my eyes.

7.10. jethroeg - Draymond Green
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond

Early, late, undrafted - I am not a fan of Draymond at all. Though I'll note this is a bunch later than he has ever gone, and the previous lowest ADP won midge a crown. I can see the appeal somewhat of the 15-16 season, but most of his guard eligible seasons are disgusting to me - 23-24 shoots pretty well, for example, but I can't stomach 25% TOs, or his foul rate. Cheeks already turns it over a ton, as does Magic. Unfortunately the sixth and seventh picks have me souring on this squad somewhat, though again, maybe you can make Draymond this late work. I would have just taken a normal guard, like the ones mentioned above.

7.11. edsortails - Dave Cowens
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens

I like Cowens a lot in Savage - I have 5 titles with him - though I'm used to using him to defend big men who are much worse defenders than what you have in AD, Capela, and Pau. Other than rebounding, defense, and a surprisingly decent passing game he doesn't bring too much. But you can't have too much defense, and if you don't use too much more of him than the 74 and 75 seasons I can see it working.

7.12. uptowngbv - Steve Nash
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash

Hm. I think you rounded out your shooting-focused guards already with Harden and Ant, so I'm surprised to see Nash land on this squad of all places. I don't really like it. Nash is not a winning Savage player in general and this does not seem to me like a formula for success.

I'll note that as we get into the back half of the draft, obviously the impact of each pick is lesser, but this is also where the draft is won or lost, since it's fairly easy to get through the first few rounds on something resembling auto pilot. Fixing my late round drafting was a big part of getting myself from a middling manager to a top 5 one. So take some of these criticisms with a grain of salt - but make no mistake, rounds 6-10 are a crucial part of the draft.

7.13. tarheel1991 - Kel'el Ware
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware

Those two seasons are so good. The big men are maybe looking slightly weak defensively, but I have no problem with the fit here. Maybe it's a little high but I have a feeling he'd have been gone by your next pick. Ware already has a title and finished 4th for dbkc the one time he's been drafted. This team still looks like a tough out.

7.14. kammeyer - CJ McCollum
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ

I'm not so sure about this one. I'd much rather have Terrell Brandon or Beal here if you were set on a guard. Maybe I am really misjudging how you're going to assemble this squad but I see a bunch of guards (only one who defends), and bunch of bigs (only one who defends) and 0 SFs. CJ has 0 crowns, 2 titles, and has been below average historically. I think I remember Rob saying he was more of an ODL guy than a Savage guy, which I fully agree with. Worried about this team. I'd want to add some SF talent, and another guard defender and big man defender, no need for usage anymore.

7.15. ysw128 - Josh Hart
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart

I don't totally understand the fit here - Hart is a good rebounder from the guard spot but it seems like you need big men more than you need guards. Hart has been drafted 6 times, usually lower than this, and has had poor results. He didn't get drafted last season even with the new season drop, so I'm sure you could have gotten him later if your heart was set. There are some good picks on this team but I'm not liking the balance.

7.16. oddson - Desmond Bane
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane

I'm not real high on Bane - outside of 1 title and 1 crown from Midge he's been rather poor in Savage, and this is another spot where I'd rather have Brandon or Beal, or even Middleton possibly. I'm guessing this is partly about the 3s since Donovan is your only real source currently, but A. that's one reason I don't rate Walt super highly and B. I'd rather have Beal in that role. Not as big of a miss as the last two picks, however, and I'm still mostly on board with this roster so far.

7.17. steelers821 - Delon Wright
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon

Came so close to falling to me. I prefer Delon to Eddie on a team where I need to cover for someone at the 1, which is many teams. You actually don't have anyone nearly as bad at defense as Jamal Murray to cover for though, so I actually wonder if we'd both have been better off with the other guy.

Regardless - Delon is awesome, he's so good in Savage, and this is too late for him to go. 9 titles and 4 crowns! Come on, y'all. Steelers looking strong (here we go Steelers, here we go... clap clap).

7.18. raggedclaws - Eddie Jones
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, E Jones

I wanted Delon but wasn't too heartbroken to end up with Eddie. Wish he got more boards since he's solidly a 2 guard, but there's a ton else to like - sure, he's poor from 2 but actually shoots the 3 pretty well! I don't mind that on Billups, and I don't mind it here. He's not a perfect fit with Jamal in particular but I think I can make it work. So many minutes too! I love scooping up talented players with tons of minutes and seasons this later in the draft. Spoiler alert, I didn't stop after this pick.

Feeling good so far. 3 titles so far but 0 crowns for EJ.

7.19. gerryred - Jalen Williams
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub

A better new season would have been welcome, but I like 23 and 24 from Jalen enough (and he's performed in Savage) to where I'm OK with this. Barry, Scottie, and J Dub is not where I'd have guessed gerry would have gone after his first four picks, but I don't hate them by any means. They just leave me a little cold. Not consistently very good on defense. But there's a lot of draft left.

7.20. dh555 - Andrew Bynum
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum

This is an awesome pick. Bynum is bona fide in Savage, he doesn't get above 70 in on ball defense and can't switch too good but compensates for it with his block rate, along with his shooting, rebounding, and fairly clean game. Really ideal build around Steph so far, Simmons is the only misstep to me.

7.21. 24kpyrite - Mikal Bridges
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges

A bit early for Mikal for my taste, he did add a decent new season but it's not a needle mover for me. Other than the one sick partial, he doesn't shoot a ton, and he just doesn't do that much when the ball isn't in his hands. Would like it better if your guards weren't already good at defense.

7.22. chewy3344 - Hot Rod Williams
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod

Ol reliable, I have always appreciated Hot Rod, even if ideally you're only using 3 or 4 of his seasons. He won't take the ball from MJ (or Westbrook) much, defends 3/4/5 really well, and has a clean game. No complaints here.

7.23. dbkc - Tracy McGrady
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac

I've never gone in for TMac myself, but I can see the appeal and he's played great in Savage in the past. This team's shooting is starting to look potentially ugly, but someone's got to shoot and he and West should solve any usage problems you might have had. Rebounding is going to be fantastic, and he makes 3s at a decent clip in a few of his seasons.

7.24. benhoidal - Onyeka Okongwu
8.1. benhoidal - Marcin Gortat
Roster: LeBron, Flash Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love, Okongwu, Gortat

Given Okongwu's newest season, it's tough to blame Ben for scooping him up twice in a row in the same range he's gone before the drop. Some high foul players on this team, but also some very low ones to compensate. I might have looked guard here instead of Gortat, but he played super well for me last season and has always crushed it in Savage - no way he'd have been around at your next pick. I suspect with his slightly lower but still reasonable usage, he tends to draw lesser defenders, and he pities those fools.

Killer rebounding from basically every spot, not the best defense but no duds (outside of Love), this squad is looking tougher and tougher to play against.

8.2. dbkc - Dirk Nowitzki
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk

Finally Dirk goes. He should be a fifth or sixth rounder - I understand he doesn't fit with every roster, but by this point quite a few teams have passed on him for far lesser players. For this team, wish he made a couple more 3s, and I'm not totally sure how much you needed the shooting with some high usage guys around already - but if he's shooting instead of TMac, that's a win.

8.3. chewy3344 - Khris Middleton
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod, Middleton

Middleton is pretty good, and rebounds slightly better than some of his peers, but I'd probably have taken Beal instead. I love 19-20 but the other seasons aren't such great shakes, at least he's going to drain threes for you, which was a real need. This roster is looking really good.

8.4. 24kpyrite - Kermit Washington
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges, Kermit

I've soured on Kermit over the years, especially because of his towels - he enjoyed massive Savage success early on, but has failed to replicate that recently. With only Bogut and Zubac as traditional big men, I'm wondering if he'll play the 3 or 4. Team is looking a little sloppy, but there are a lot of good players here too, I have this roster as roughly middle of the pack so far.

8.5. dh555 - Carlos Boozer
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum, Boozer

Boozer is an interesting case. Good at most things except defense and blocking, and his shooting is good though maybe less impressive in Savage. I could see myself taking maybe taking him, ideally later if possible, but it would have to be the perfect fit, as I'd generally much rather grab Dirk or Amar'e or the like a round or two earlier.

Well, I don't know about perfect but this looks solid to me. Steph can't take every single shot, after all. Combined with Bynum, the big man defense is slipping a bit here, but as long as Kemp isn't fouling out you should be able to keep things together.

8.6. gerryred - Dejounte Murray
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub, D Murray

I am starting to be a little baffled by all this usage from the guard spot, though I guess JDub and Scottie maybe don't give you the most usable minutes. This is fairly late for Dejounte but I'm still not sure I'm a fan - he does chip in several areas to compensate for his bad shooting, but he shoots a *lot* and I'd find it all more palatable if he was a better defender, or made more 3s. Not loving the recent additions to this squad, though reasonable minds may disagree.

8.7. raggedclaws - Tree Rollins
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, EJ, Tree

Tree is not a perfect fit as he can't switch with Valanciunas very well, pushes Gobert to the 4 for some minutes - I think they'll start together one season, should be fun - and he fouls so much. But the value here in the 8th is crazy.

One of the best shot blockers - ever - he also rebounds well, defends the 5 like few others, won't turn it over much, and shoots decently when he does deign to do so. The warts are plain as day, fouls and lack of defensive versatility. But there are guys who go in this range who do less, have more flaws, and play even less so I don't really see the issue. He has a whopping 8 titles but is looking for his first crown. Should go a round or two earlier, though he won't fit on every team.

8.8. steelers821 - Emeka Okafor
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon, Okafor

I thought about Okafor briefly instead of Tree, but Tree is a significantly better player even if a rougher fit. Okafor is pretty good and I rate the 06 season fairly highly, but he usually doesn't shoot enough or defend well enough for me to pull the trigger. 5 titles, but 0 crowns and only finishes 15th on average. I like the fit on this team, though, and it's a solid spot for him to go.

8.9. oddson - Paul Millsap
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane, Millsap

Millsap is a great find in Savage, and should be more than capable of manning the 3 along with McHale, assuming that's the plan. His eFG won't knock your socks off but your shooting looks competent already, and he's a positive in literally every other category in at least a few of his seasons. One of the toughest guys to pick out seasons for, 14 and 15 might be the only true no brainers.

8.10. ysw128 - Jusuf Nurkic
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart, Nurkic

Nurkic definitely has a role in Savage, typically as a late round usage handcuff for someone like Shaq, but this is too early for him and I'm also not sure I see the logical partner. Also, isn't Yao Ming - who went a round later - better in nearly every way? This pick has me scratching my head. Do not like.

8.11. kammeyer - Ed Davis
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ, Ed Davis

Now this pick I do like, especially as I had resigned myself to the fact Ed would not get back to me, and I probably couldn't make the usage work anyhow. Ed is Savage royalty, with 10 titles and 3 crowns, plus he's a steal in the 8th. Doesn't quite fix your defensive problems but I don't give a crap, I'd like him on nearly any team at this point and this seems like a better fit than some.

8.12. tarheel1991 - Larry Nance Jr.
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr

I also really like Nance Jr, though he's not quite the robbery Ed is in the 8th. He's such a damn fun player, with the shooting, rebounding, steals, and even that one nice guard season. 7 titles and 2 crowns which is even slightly more than I'd have expected.

8.13. uptowngbv - Moussa Diabate
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash, Diabate

Diabate is pretty nice, though with Vanderbilt on the board I would have thought strongly about him instead. I'd have rather seen someone who can guard PGs here, though. This guard defense is going to be kind of rough. Curious to see how well you can make it work.

8.14. edsortails - Victor Oladipo
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens, Oladipo

It's tough to justify him going much lower than this on the strength of that season alone - we've reached the part of the draft where I am far less skeptical of single season guys, as long as they play enough minutes in that season. Nice guard rotation you've got going, and big men too. I don't see any SFs though? Is Paul George your 3?

8.15. jethroeg - Walt Bellamy
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond, Bellamy

I like the Bellamy pick - this is roughly where I have him in value, though he's usually drafted at least 1 round later. He gives you *at least* 6500 usage minutes from two seasons alone, and the others aren't terrible either, though less is more when it comes to Bellamy and him playing full minutes is usually a bad sign. Maybe you could have gotten him a round or two later but I'm not mad at it. I personally might have gone for someone with a little more defensive punch though, since I assume he'll be sharing the floor with KAT at least some of the time.

8.16. 20ks - Mookie Blaylock
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar, Mookie

I think Mookie is now underrated in Savage - especially here in the 8th - and was glad I was able to get him a second crown last season. Team shooting is going to pretty iffy when he's on the floor though. Platooning with Ausar? That would help.

8.17. ncmusician_7 - Jarred Vanderbilt
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny, Vanderbilt

Seems like a really good spot for Vanderbilt, since Stockton and Penny can hold their own defensively at the 1. Vanderbilt is a super talented Savage player who I certainly would have taken with my next pick if he had made it to me, though I knew better than to expect it.

8.18. jcred5 - Bob McAdoo
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel, McAdoo

Here's a big! McAdoo seems like a really nice find late, which is why I'm a little surprised he hasn't had even more Savage success in the late rounds - the 73 season alone is a masterpiece. I like this pick a lot.

8.19. beloud - Bob Lanier
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein, Lanier

McAdoo and Lanier are kind of birds of a feather, though I prefer McAdoo by a small margin. Not the best big man rebounder, especially for someone you'd like to play at the 5, but you've got rebounding covered and the 73 season is a beaut. Probably worth taking here for that season alone, plus the others aren't too shabby. 2 crowns, both with beloud - which doesn't shock me but is a little better than I expected.

8.20. jjmurphy1127 - Isaiah Jackson
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul, IJax

IJax usually shows up high on my spreadsheet around this part of the draft, but I usually avoid taking him, mostly because of the low minutes and fouls. He's got one crown, but it came at pick 243. Personally, I think this is far too early for him, and it didn't work out for jj last season when he took him in this same range. You're just bidding against yourself here in the 8th.

8.21. riftonapple - Andre Iguodala
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo, Iguodala

Iguodala in the 8th is crazy value. Maybe he used to be overdrafted, as a low usage guard, but I love the value and the fit here. I am picturing SloMo and Iggy next to Holiday and Conley. And smiling. 8 titles, 1 crown, may well have come all the way around to being underrated at this point. Can even give some usage if you need it.

8.22. berkelon - Dan Roundfield
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince, Roundfield

Roundfield has such an interesting profile. His eFG would be easier to stomach if he didn't shoot as much, but those 4 usage points can also be crucial to enabling team builds. The towels are gross but he compensates in several other areas, and the good FT shooting is a nice bonus too. Not the most success in Savage - has yet to crack the top 3 - but has finished top 10 quite a few times.

I like the fit here, as my eyeball test says your team was trending pretty clean, Outlaw excepted. Should be an interesting build. I'd personally rather get him a round or two later, but if he fits a need I don't mind it in the 8th.

8.23. midge - Mark Williams
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine, Mark Williams

I can't decide if this is too high for Mark or not. Midge took him around this range last season too... and it did not totally work out. At least there's good defensive cover for him. Depending on the needs, I'd personally lean more towards Mel here. But Mark was definitely on my shortlist, and he's put together 3000 minutes which are undeniably good.

8.24. pbandj - Isaiah Stewart
9.1. pbandj - James Johnson
Roster: Luka, Whiteside, Irving, J Lucas, Amen, Alvin Robertson, Clingan, Beef Stew, James Johnson

I'm not a huge fan of Beef Stew in Savage - while his 25-26 season joins his 20-21 season in the usable tier, both are good but not great in my eyes. He defends well but not amazingly, and fouls way too much. Only taken twice, so even with the new season this feels a little high.

As far as that archetype goes I like James Johnson a little better, for his G eligibility, slightly lower fouls, and better defense - though he also turns it over more and rebounds and shoots worse. He has a more proven Savage track record as well. I think it may have been a little too clever to grab both, and probably would have just taken Bloodsport, who can switch onto the 1 a lot of the time, and passed on Beef Stew.

9.2. midge - Tobias Harris
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine, Mark Williams, Tobi Harris

Just like irl, Harris is a little underrated. He's so damn versatile, and 20-21 is really top notch other than passing and defending a little less than you many like. But he's so switchable that the defense is less of a concern. Really clean player. I was surprised to see he has yet to win it all, or even finish top 2.

I am a little worried about the guard defense though, Kidd can only be in so many places at the same time, and even he is only a 90 defender some of the time.

9.3. berkelon - Terrell Brandon
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince, Roundfield, Terrell Brandon

Brandon is so good, and while it's true that he's primarily a single season guy 1. that season is really top shelf and 2. I've had some success using his other seasons in limited minutes, they do most things well except for shoot 2s and rebound. Love the fit with Wade, and Carter can hold his own at the 2 so lack of switchability not a huge concern. 6 titles and 2 crowns, and this looks like a good fit for him too.

9.4. riftonapple - Chris Webber
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo, Iguodala, Webber

Not crazy about Webber in Savage, he generally ends up middle of the pack but I do view him as a ceiling lower-er. 96-97 is a very usable season but the towels and poor FT shooting hurt him even there, and he takes a 3% hit if you play him at SF. Part of the plot to cover for Chuck alongside JJJ and Buck, I am thinking, I don't see too too many other options for that role floating around but I also think this is where JJJ not having the most usable seasons might come to bite you.

Rift is a great manager, both in this league and others, and will make it work - but I'm not sure I have this squad as a top tier contender as presently constituted. Just don't love the SFs.

9.5. jjmurphy1127 - T.J. McConnell
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul, IJax, TJ McConnell

Meh. We're approaching the point where I will no longer call anyone a reach, but TJ just doesn't usually fit in with what I am trying to build, and this team still has so few threes. I much prefer the next guards to go within this eval, who either give better rebounding or shoot 3s. Passing as a calling card is just not that valuable in this league (Rondo, anyone?) and on top of that TJ's top seasons either don't play enough for me, or turn it over too much. Not trying to yuck anyone's yum, but I haven't liked the back half of this roster up to this point.

9.6. beloud - Pascal Siakam
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein, Lanier, Siakam

I don't take Siakam often - probably just me consistently undervaluing rebounding guards - but he's a winning Savage player and this is a great spot for him. He plays a ton of minutes and is super versatile as well. He continues the trend of good but not great defense for this squad, but I like enough of the constituent parts that I don't mind, and still think this looks like a very strong team.

9.7. jcred5 - Mel Daniels
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel, McAdoo, Big Mel

Mel is always a nice add late, and along with McAdoo has really bolstered your big men - though he doesn't solve your defensive problems. I'm still not entirely convinced 67 is a usable season despite what my numbers say, but I don't mind rolling 70 or 71 out there one bit. I think the defensive limitations may end up lowering the ceiling of this team - nowhere to hide in Savage - but I also can't see this squad being outright bad.

9.8. ncmusician_7 - Jose Calderon
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny, Vanderbilt, Calderon

Like with TJ, Calderon gets hurt by assists just not being as valuable in Savage. And other than passing what does he really do for you? Doesn't shoot enough for you to really feel his efficiency, pretty high TOs when he does have the ball, and just a black hole with his defense and rebounding.

I took him once (was on vacation), finished second, but I think he hurt my shot at the crown. Not really liking Stockton or Calderon in the backcourt, I think this team still looks pretty good but those picks may come to hold you back. I wouldn't have minded Danny Green here, with Stockton and Penny holding down the 1, but I guess they still leave some minutes needing to be filled.

9.9. 20ks - Tyrese Maxey
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar, Mookie, Maxey

Somehow the 9th instead of the 10th feels like a big difference, but you have so many minutes I don't mind adding a very specific piece here. His latest season is incredible but I wouldn't recommend using any others. This is a very nice guard rotation.

9.10. jethroeg - Danny Green
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond, Bellamy, Danny Green

I guess you're collecting sliding D Greens over here - I like the Danny pick better than Draymond. He still doesn't have much Savage success but he also has only recently started going where he should. Pretty good fit with Magic and Cheeks, except when Magic doesn't guard so good. Solid backup for Klay. This team seems over indexed on 3s, though, and has very little paint presence. I see a lot of +2s in your future. I still like this roster a good bit but the ceiling has been getting lower and lower with these last few picks.

9.11. edsortails - Trayce Jackson-Davis
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens, Oladipo, TJD

The Traycer has already been taken 9 times in Savage, with 1 crown and 1 title to his name. Good, not great. The per minute value is unassailable but I just don't see enough minutes here to make a big impact. At least you have plenty of minutes drafted already.

9.12. uptowngbv - Cheick Diallo
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash, Diabate, Diallo

Similar to TJD, great per minute but not enough minutes for me to seriously consider, not in the 9th. I basically have to write off anyone with less than 1000 minutes, because at least personally I use garbage time so aggressively that I expect even a player with 1000 minute to play about half of their time in blowouts. Can be mitigated somewhat by starting the low minute player, but that makes their fatigue really hard to manage.

Your first five picks gave you so many minutes that this won't kill you, but not a fan of the last few picks.

9.13. tarheel1991 - Yao Ming
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao

Yao is amazing here in the 9th, and such a good backup for Embiid. Love it. Yao has yet to win a crown but I really think tarheel is going to be a contender with this draft so far.

9.14. kammeyer - Robert Covington
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ, Ed Davis, RoCo

I like this pick a lot. You have a lot of guys who can switch 2/3 and more, plus RoCo is just plain good value here. I wish he didn't foul as much, but the rest of his game is good enough I don't mind. I complain about some of the lower usage shooters in this range but RoCo does so, so much else. Tough to pick the seasons but that's just because there are a bunch of good options.

I am fairly surprised he hasn't had better success - 4 titles, 0 crowns, 13.6 average finish. It could be randomness, or maybe I'm giving him too much credit. But I also think guys who switch 2/3 don't work on every team. I think he's a good addition to this one, though.

9.15. ysw128 - Ron Harper
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart, Nurkic, Ron Harper

Harper has a decent track record in Savage. I admit I don't see the appeal, other than as a last ditch 1/2/3 defender who won't kill you anywhere. I guess 96-97 makes some threes and doesn't shoot a ton. I would prefer any of Terry Tyler, Batum, Caruso, or even Jonathan Isaac, all of whom have better strengths. This team will defend 1-3s well though.

9.16. oddson - Derek Harper
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane, Millsap, Derek Harper

I like Derek Harper even less than Ron. The rebounding is so, so bad. The median, usable PG probably averages 12-13% CREB if I had to guess, maybe more, and the average is even higher - especially in a no cap league like this one. Derek is around 8% - his standout season in that regard is 11.1%. That's awful. It's as big a difference from him to Ron Harper, for example, as Myles Turner to Dale Davis.

He's good in some other categories, but not good enough to make up for that gap. His best skills also don't perfectly align into one great season - in one season he shoots FTs badly, in another he turns it over too much, in another he doesn't defend as well. Fouls are slightly high for a guard. Jcred guided him to 1 crown but he only has 1 title and has averaged a 15.5 finish.

9.17. steelers821 - Bradley Beal
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon, Okafor, Beal

Beal is a solid piece in Savage, providing usage and efficiency, if not tip top shooting percentages. I like him fairly well as someone who isn't just a shooter, but even in the ninth I'm only so excited about Beal. 3 titles, 0 crowns, has a huge fan in uptown but I guess he has moved on. I question a few of the choices but like this roster so far.

9.18. raggedclaws - Terry Tyler
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, EJ, Tree, Thunder

Terry won't help me guard PGs, but he's really good anyways, and this team needed an injection of rebounds after starting to look a little flaccid. With the benefit of hindsight, I'm only using the 80 and 81 seasons - in full minutes, at SG - but was prepared to use a little more Thunder if I needed too. Terry has 6 titles and a crown.

Like Tree, he fouls a little too much, and it will be worse with the positional hit. But he's such a good rebounder and defender that I'm willing to overlook it this late. And even with just the two seasons, he gives 4500 high quality minutes, which is also tough to match near the end of the 9th.

9.19. gerryred - Nicolas Batum
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub, D Murray, Batum

I'm a fan of Batum, and he has been a very winning Savage player - though his biggest successes came in some of the earliest seasons - he hasn't finished top 5 since Savage 13, but has 10 titles and 3 crowns.

He reminds me of both RoCo, and also Andre Iguodala who, like Batum, had a long career and was a fairly different player by the end than when he started. RoCo has the edge in rebounding but also fouls the most, Iguodala has the best passing and is the only one who can consistently guard 1s, and Batum is the cleanest and has the most dedicated three point game. They're all good in different situations. I like the fit - I also wonder how three point heavy this team is going to be.

9.20. dh555 - Devin Booker
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum, Boozer, Booker

I think Beal and Booker are fairly close in value but would rather have Beal in general, due to being a slightly better defender who turns it over a little less, and is a little more 3 point centric. That said, they're basically neck and neck, and he's a really nice Steph backup to land in the 9th. Good looking roster.

Booker has actually been dreadful historically, with 0 crowns or titles and an average finish of 17.9 - that's one of the worst I remember seeing thus far. Not sure why he's been quite that bad across a sample size of 15.

9.21. 24kpyrite - Antonio McDyess
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges, Kermit, McDyess

If this is just for the 97 season, I like it. That's a nice season with a good amount of minutes. I don't really like the idea of using any of his other seasons though, but maybe I'm missing something. Has been successful in Savage as a late pick.

9.22. chewy3344 - Tyler Herro
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod, Middleton, Herro

I didn't rate Herro too highly in my mind, but looking at his last two seasons, there's more to like than I thought. More FTs than I might have guessed. Towels are great. In just two seasons drafted Herro has a title and an average finish of 9. Not bad.

All of your guards shoot quite a lot; I know some of your bigs don't shoot much but you must be pretty high in usage. Not much to criticize here, this is a solid build.

9.23. dbkc - Alex Caruso
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso

I'll talk about the roster below - Caruso is an appealing player in Savage and you needed someone who could hold their own defensively next to Crash, though I slightly prefer the fit on a team that actually has defensive holes to cover.

9.24. benhoidal - Reggie Miller
10.1. benhoidal - De'Aaron Fox
Roster: LeBron, Flash Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love, Okongwu, Gortat, Reggie, Fox

Some efficient guards to plug into this otherwise fairly big heavy lineup; LeBron, Reggie, Fox, and sometimes Love should give you enough 3s, and they're all pretty clean, though LeBron is going to have to do some heavy lifting defensively unless you draft some help. Not the most intimidating rotation but should get the job done, coupled with the excellent rest of the roster. Wish Reggie could switch with 1s better. Can't complain about that too much here at the 9/10 turn. Definitely a top tier draft so far.

10.2. dbkc - Jonathan Isaac
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac

I'm guessing Isaac will be playing some 2, I guess all the more reason you need someone like Caruso holding tight at PG. I've been drawn to Isaac before and could see myself taking him again, but he hasn't been too successful in Savage - just not enough minutes I'm guessing, and anytime he starts he tends to blow past his individual usage limit. Another usable season would be huge.

Despite minor quibbles these are two great additions to an already loaded roster, I don't have any major criticisms. Wilt and some of your other guys fouling so little gives you extra rope to work with in that regard.

10.3. chewy3344 - Kyle O'Quinn
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod, Middleton, Herro, KOQ

I tend to think about KOQ the same way I do Chriss and Sanders, though Kyle has multiple (2?) usable seasons instead of just the one. He's been successful in Savage. I don't have any super strong thoughts about this except that it helps bolster your rebounding, defense at the 3/4/5, and blocks, though the towels hurt a bit. That's one reason I sometimes prefer Chriss, situation dependent.

10.4. 24kpyrite - Elgin Baylor
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges, Kermit, McDyess, Elgin

I'd feel OK deploying the 60 and 62 seasons as straight usage backups in fairly low minutes - maybe that's what's happening here, him playing fourth fiddle to Giannis and Kobe and that one Bridges season. If so, I don't hate it. Baylor has generally been poor in Savage when drafted but he has a few top 10 finishes.

10.5. dh555 - Dyson Daniels
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum, Boozer, Booker, Dyson

It's too bad the Great Barrier Thief didn't deliver a better season last year - as a fantasy owner I was painfully aware of how mediocre it ended up being - but you're really drafting him for 24-25 and that's a great season even if it does turn out to be an outlier. I like the addition of a defensive guard who rebounds here.

10.6. gerryred - Goga Bitadze
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub, D Murray, Batum, Goga

Bitadze is a nice pick here in the 10th - he has 3 titles in 5 times taken, and his new season fouls a little too much but adds a third very usable season for roughly 3350 minutes total. Not bad at all.

10.7. raggedclaws - Gary Payton II
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, EJ, Tree, Thunder, GPII

Maybe this was a little high for GPII, I don't know. But it's not like he's a hypothetical performer - 7 titles and 2 crowns - and that new season is very usable especially with 2 usage points. I've complained elsewhere about players who don't much exceed 1000 minutes in any season and maybe it's just hypocritical but with GPII, I just don't care, he's that good. And often I don't even start him anyways, between the FT% and the fouls and not always being the best option from 3.

His skills come and go depending on the season but he'll be better than who you have already for roughly 3000 minutes overall, and that's exactly how I'm using him - three seasons total.

10.8. steelers821 - Kevin Johnson
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon, Okafor, Beal, Kevin Johnson

KJ is pretty solid - I'm guessing you're taking him just for the 96-97 season, which is a good one. He's had below average results but did snap one title and one crown. Interesting collection of talent you're putting together at guard.

10.9. oddson - Mo Bamba
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane, Millsap, Derek Harper, Bamba

Bamba is a really versatile who big who has also performed incredibly in Savage - 4 titles, 5 crowns, average finish around 7. It helps that he's been taken by some strong managers, but the talent is also obvious, as he can shoot well, rebound, block, and make threes - a rare combination, especially this late. Nice pick.

10.10. ysw128 - Brook Lopez
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart, Nurkic, Ron Harper, BroLo

As big a fan as I am in real life, I just can't bring myself to draft BroLo - in Savage or most other leagues. Horrible results - 0 titles or crowns, average finish of 20. People might genuinely be better off drafting his brother.

I don't care how much he blocks, and defends (though he can't switch) and makes threes and doesn't foul - if you are C only and can't rebound better than 17% I just can't use you unless it's some special case.

10.11. kammeyer - Amir Johnson
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ, Ed Davis, RoCo, Amir

Amir has had some Savage success, but I generally avoid taking him since only 07-08 jumps out to me and it doesn't hit 800 minutes, and fouls too much. Without the rebounding, blocks, or defense, the other seasons don't appeal to me much.

But he won't be playing that many minutes so the towels shouldn't hit you too bad. Another 3/4 piece, I don't hate it,

10.12. tarheel1991 - Samuel Dalembert
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert

Dalembert isn't the sexiest player, but he's been a winning player, and is a steal this late. I'm not totally sure which seasons of his I'd use, as there are four I'd consider but they're all pretty high in towels. I might have thought about adding more big man defense with this pick though in your case - not a ton to choose from but LARRY SANDERS and AC Green could have been options, albeit in just one great defensive season each. But that's picking nits.

10.13. uptowngbv - Dereck Lively
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash, Diabate, Diallo, Lively

Lively has been taken four times in Savage now, and every time by uptown. I like Lively on paper but in reality he only has 2000 minutes, barely shoots to utilize his great percentages - and he doesn't rebound well for his position, fouls too much, is just OK on defense, and misses nearly half the FTs he does take. It's an alright pick, but after averaging 18th the last three times you've taken him, it may be time to move on.

10.14. edsortails - Cade Cunningham
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens, Oladipo, TJD, Cade

I like Cade's last season better than his previous, of course, but I still blanch at the poor percentages at towels. He did pick up a title for dbkc so I'm willing to believe he has a role in Savage. I suppose I can see the usage angle as well, since Oladipo and PG13 don't quite fill out 48 over 5 seasons. I'd have thought about Josh Smith instead, possibly.

10.15. jethroeg - Shane Battier
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond, Bellamy, Danny Green, Battier

I've considered Battier before in Savage, though I haven't done it. OK average rank but never finished above 9th. He does some stuff well but mostly he guards 2/3s, and you mostly already have good defenders there. I wonder how many minutes he'll end up playing. I don't think he rebounds well enough to play the 3 much.

10.16. 20ks - Josh Smith
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar, Mookie, Maxey, J-Smoove

A steal this late, Smith has 7 Savage titles but 0 crowns, but has come close. I have some mixed feelings - he is useful as a defensive stopper among his other strengths, but other than Faried I don't see too many guys who need covering. I'm interested to see how you deploy him.

10.17. ncmusician_7 - Thaddeus Young
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny, Vanderbilt, Calderon, Thad Young

I've never taken Thagic Johnson myself but I can see the appeal, especially when it comes to 20 and 21. Hopefully he is stacked with Calderon to mitigate the defensive damage, though I guess those guard seasons aren't too bad at defense.

I guess you don't need me to tell you all this as this appears to be the 10th time you've taken him in Savage? Wow. Seems to have been working less well as time goes on. I feel like he is pretty good but there are still better, higher ceiling guards still available.

10.18. jcred5 - Steven Adams
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel, McAdoo, Big Mel, Steven Adams

Always a solid pick. I won't harp on the big man defense - I do think the rebounding here is going to be great, and the shooting passes the eyeball test. The offensive rebounding in particular is looking nutty. I wouldn't want to be in the same division as this team.

10.19. beloud - Justin Champagnie
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein, Lanier, Siakam, Justin Champagnie

Great pick - Justin has 1700 great minutes and can help provide some switchable defense. Wish he had made more 3s this last season but to me it just means he comes off the bench instead of being a starting candidate that year.

10.20. jjmurphy1127 - Bob Pettit
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul, IJax, TJ McConnell, Pettit

Pettit often shows up on my reports but he so aggressively hunts down bad shots that I just struggle to find scenarios to draft him - I'm usually looking for injections of good minutes at this point of the draft, instead of heaps of middling minutes. I could see planning a draft around him, though, and making it work. Not been amazing in Savage, I took him to third once but barely played him and wish I had taken someone else.

Wonder where he's even playing since The Malones play so many high usage minutes, I guess Moses only gives 4 points some seasons and maybe you need 6 to make it work. I wouldn't really want him next to those guys though.

10.21. riftonapple - Larry Sanders
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo, Iguodala, Webber, LARRY

I love Larry Sanders, he's so good for the 24 minutes he's on the court, and I can definitely see the fit with this set of players. Great pick.

In the first Savage, ash took him 146. That feels a little high, but I'm good with him going anywhere from 9th or so onward.

10.22. berkelon - David Lee
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince, Roundfield, Terrell Brandon, D Lee

Lee is a tremendous late round weapon, providing shooting and rebounding with a clean all around game. Not a great defender but you're looking good there with most of your bigs pretty strong defensively. He has yet to finish in the top 5 when not taken by rob, pex, or me though.

10.23. midge - Josh Giddey
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine, Mark Williams, Tobi Harris, Giddey

Giddey has an OK Savage profile, but the turnovers are so bad that even with the uptick in three point shooting I find it hard to wholeheartedly endorse him. Has not had much luck in Savage - he's been pretty bad mostly except for the one time chewy got him to second place. I don't totally love it. It seems like Kidd is your only very good guard defender. That's not a great recipe in Savage.

10.24. pbandj - Troy Murphy
11.1. pbandj - Rudy Gay
Roster: Luka, Whiteside, Irving, J Lucas, Amen, Alvin Robertson, Clingan, Beef Stew, James Johnson, Troy Murphy, Rudini

I don't totally understand the case for Rudy in Savage. He rebounds well for a 2 and is pretty clean, but doesn't do a whole lot else. I guess 18-19 shoots pretty well but my numbers have it as only his third best season since the stocks and defense aren't great, and it's the least clean of his seasons. Not sure if he is a strictly usage backup to Luka and Kyrie or doing more.

Troy Murphy I do like better, with his obviously excellent 08 season and likely usable 09 season. The big man defense seems like it will be good, but not great. Not sure I have this as a top half roster.

11.2. midge - Jeff Hornacek
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine, Mark Williams, Tobi Harris, Giddey, Hornacek

You've amassed quite a few good offensive guards - couldn't have squeeze in one more defender? Hornacek is solid, I guess, but if rob hadn't won a title and a crown with him in Savage 13, he'd be looking at 1 title, 0 crowns, and 0 top five finishes. Between his horrid rebounding, mediocre passing for a 1, low usage, and only average defense, I have never strongly considered him. Overall, I like some of the pieces here but am not terribly enamored of this overall roster.

11.3. berkelon - D'Angelo Russell
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince, Roundfield, Terrell Brandon, D Lee, D'Lo

D'Lo is fine as a usage backup but I had figured you had enough usage already, with some of the guys on your squad already. No seasons in the bunch I'm crazy about, but if it's in small enough minutes he's not going to kill you. He has two crowns from early on but has not had as good results recently, I think some other players have surpassed him recently.

11.4. riftonapple - George Hill
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo, Iguodala, Webber, SANDERS, G Hill

I prefer George Hill to D'Lo for his better rebounding and lower turnovers, and he's had more success lately even while not always being drafted. This is a very interesting team rift has put together through 11 - my gut says it's not in the top 5 but I've liked many of the picks.

11.5. jjmurphy1127 - Tyus Jones
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul, IJax, TJ McConnell, Pettit, Tyus

I used to look at Tyus Jones more often in Savage, but I feel like with some new season drops I hardly ever consider him. Just doesn't have a huge impact on the game, and his rebounding is real bad. This team will be feeding the shooters.

11.6. beloud - Boban Marjanovic
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein, Lanier, Siakam, Justin Champagnie, Boban

I don't really care for Boban in Savage - nice per minute and you could do a lot worse in the 11th but he only clears 550 minutes once, and never hits 700, so I just don't find him very usable. Not really good enough to plug into the starting rotation with just 1 minute either, I'd think. Ben won with him once recently but that's his only top 5 finish. I just don't think he really impacts the game.

11.7. jcred5 - Andris Biedrins
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel, McAdoo, Big Mel, Steven Adams, Biedrins

Biedrins is very well pedigreed for someone who goes this late. I look at his profile, and underwhelmed by the defense, towels, and FTs. If you have big man minutes to fill he can probably do so credibly but I don't see him muscling out too many preallotted minutes. The eFG and rebounding are nice this late, though.

11.8. ncmusician_7 - Aaron Gordon
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny, Vanderbilt, Calderon, Thad Young, Air Gordon

Maybe this is recency bias (my Dr J, MPJ, Gordon 2/3 rotation last season was so fun) but I love this pick. 22-23 is such a good season, and 23-24 wasn't bad either. The two points of usage for both season make him easier to fit in than other guys who go around here.

11.9. 20ks - Ray Allen
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar, Mookie, Maxey, J-Smoove, Jesus Shuttlesworth

It's incredible how far Allen has fallen - from a third rounder early on to now going in the 11th. I guess an average finish of 18 will do that to a guy. It's true that Allen has been far, far overrated in the past but his top three seasons are all very solid and each come with 4+ points of usage, which is not always easy to find. You've got quite a few guards who can contribute usage, I'm guessing you'll be able to limit Maxey to one season which is nice.

11.10. jethroeg - Bob Dandridge
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond, Bellamy, Danny Green, Battier, Dandridge

Can't say I've ever though about drafting the Greyhound in Savage. You have so many 2/3 guys, but I only like a few of them. Dandridge has been taken 4 times in Savage and has only finished better than 23rd once. Just doesn't seem like a winning player. Hope you're just using the 78-79 season.

11.11. edsortails - Chris Mullin
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens, Oladipo, TJD, Cade, Mullin

Mullin is pretty solid - definitely better than Cade on this squad, and some of your defenders can help cover for him. He's been a mixed bag in Savage - he's actually done better when taken higher in past seasons, as opposed to more recently. I like the fit on the right team, and this seems solid. Just eyeballing this squad though, I may have invested more in big men these last few picks to help reduce Cowens' usage. But maybe there's a plan for that.

11.12. uptowngbv - Blake Griffin
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash, Diabate, Diallo, Lively, Blake

Blake has has some success in Savage recently. I can definitely understand slotting him in as a specific kind of big man usage backup who splashes in passing, but I don't like the idea of just throwing him out there and hoping for the best, since I don't think the overall talent level is very high. With the usage coming from the guards on this squad, I don't love the fit here.

11.13. tarheel1991 - A.C. Green
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green

A.C. is a steal here - a very clean rebounder who can man the 3 and has a nice TS. Hasn't finished inside the top 12 since ash took him in Savage 16, but I think some of that may be misuse, and he won it all for dbkc back in Savage 3. Another good, not great defender, but at 60+ he's no slouch either (bad stocks though).

11.14. kammeyer - Austin Reaves
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ, Ed Davis, RoCo, Amir, Reaves

Reaves has strung together two nice seasons now, though like in real life he can't be your point of attack defender. I don't really like the fit with all the usage on the team already but don't want to beat a dead horse. I wouldn't mind this pick on a team he fit better on.

11.15. ysw128 - Roy Tarpley
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart, Nurkic, Ron Harper, BroLo, Tarpley

Not my favorite pick - his 88 season is OK in the few minutes it plays, but if 87-88 is getting involved as well, that's a season I'm not a huge fan of. Tarpley hasn't finished a season in the single digits since the Savage number was single digits. I just don't think Parish/Nurkic/BroLo/Tarpley is a good enough big man rotation to compete in Savage.

11.16. oddson - Day'Ron Sharpe
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane, Millsap, Derek Harper, Bamba, D Sharpe

Solid pick, though I wish he wasn't so inconsistent - Sharpe's latest season might be his best, but it also turns it over more and defends less than his others. Only drafted once before in Savage but I feel like you have enough big man defense to protect him.

11.17. steelers821 - Clarence Weatherspoon
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon, Okafor, Beal, KJ, Spoon

I like Spoon this late, and he helps add some defense while not fouling a lot. Solid pick. 0 crowns in Savage but he does have 3 titles.

11.18. raggedclaws - Kemba Walker
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, EJ, Tree, Thunder, GPII, Kemba

I had not been shortlisting Kemba but when I realized he was available he made so much sense - pushing Murray's fifth season out of the rotation, providing a cleaner usage backup than Butler in some minutes, sprinkling in some threes, defending a little, not fouling. I'll use about 3500 of his minutes, the bulk from 15-16 (not the best eFG but less usage than other seasons, and I needed the defense), and 19-20 providing some as well. It's probably right for Kemba to be a late round guy, but the 11th is still a steal.

8 titles, 1 crown (in the first Savage), and average finish inside the top 10.

11.19. gerryred - JaMychal Green
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub, D Murray, Batum, Goga, JaMychal

Never been a big fan of him in Savage, though he has had some success with owners who weren't gerry - who has now taken Green a whopping 8 times but not finished above 10 in any of them. Playing SG for a few minutes, rebounding, and 3s are all nice - but he's a dud almost everywhere else and the fouls are no good.

11.20. dh555 - Paul Pressey
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum, Boozer, Booker, Dyson, Pressey

I thought about Pressey a few of the first Savages I was in but basically never since. Towels are too high for someone who doesn't rebound, or shoot 3s. But he can guard, and as long as he's doing that alongside Steph the fit isn't terrible. I haven't done the math but the towels for this team overall don't look too great.

11.21. 24kpyrite - Elvin Hayes
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges, Kermit, McDyess, Elgin, Elvin

Hayes hasn't made too much noise in savage, but 24k did guide him to 3rd so maybe he knows what he's doing. Elvin doesn't do a ton for you other than defend and block - rebounding is about average for the role. You've gotten quite old school with your last few picks, but you're introducing a lot of poor efficiency.

11.22. chewy3344 - Caldwell Jones
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod, Middleton, Herro, KOQ, Caldwell Jones

Meh, I'm not too excited about Caldwell but if you need a big man defender you could do worse. He's never finished better than eighth, though. Chriss is better, for one, but I understand if that just wasn't enough minutes. Not a Mason Plumlee fan I guess?

11.23. dbkc - Terry Porter
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac, Terry Porter

Nice value here at the end of the 11th - his 90 season is great but I often find I can't fit it in either due to the low usage or "just" 60 defense. No crowns but he's won 4 titles.

11.24. benhoidal - Cedric Ceballos
12.1. benhoidal - Ty Jerome
Roster: LeBron, Flash Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love, Okongwu, Gortat, Reggie, Fox, Ceballos, Ty Jerome
A-

Ben continues to supplement the guard rotation; there still isn't a great guard defender other than LeBron, and I don't see any excellent defenders at all outside the top four picks. Still, I like basically every single one of these players, and the rebounding and threes are looking good. Should win the possession battle. Fouls might be high, but maybe not since some of those players like LeBron and Love and Reggie commit so few. Probably fewer fouls than my teams.

This is only Ceballos' second time being drafted in the last eight seasons, though the one time ben took him to third. Meanwhile Jerome hasn't done well in four times drafted, but those 1600 minutes or so are so nice.

12.2. dbkc - Marquese Chriss
Roster: Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac, Terry Porter, Chriss
A

Chriss is often BPA on my board at this point of the draft. 1500 awesome minutes. Can switch with Dirk. I like it. 2 crowns and 6 titles in Savage, and an average 8.4 finish. Definitely scared of this team.

12.3. chewy3344 - Drew Eubanks
Roster: MJ, Drummond, Camby, Ho Grant, Westbrook, Ayton, Hot Rod, Middleton, Herro, KOQ, Caldwell Jones, Eubanks
B+

I like Eubanks in Savage, quite a few usable seasons above 1000 minutes at this point. Seems like a great final pick. This roster seems really good though I don't think I'll have it top 3.

12.4. 24kpyrite - Tony Parker
Roster: Greek Freak, Kobe, Zubac, Billups, J Collins, Bogut, Mikal Bridges, Kermit, McDyess, Elgin, Elvin, Tony Parker
C+

It's a shame Tony Parker isn't more usable in Savage, but I just don't think he has any very good seasons. Chewy has made it work to mild success twice, but he's only finished top five once in 6 times taken. The overall shooting on these squads is looking kind of rough. Not my favorite build, especially in the late rounds, but I liked the first half of the draft.

12.5. dh555 - Taj Gibson
Roster: Steph, Reign Man, Gafford, B Simmons, JaVale, Holmes, Bynum, Boozer, Booker, Dyson, Pressey, Taj
B

I don't have too strong feelings about Taj - is it just the 20-21 season? That one's pretty nice at guard, though I'm not crazy about the rest. This team is pretty massive outside of Steph, and I'll be really interested to see how it performs. I can't decide between B or B+.

12.6. gerryred - Jaylin Williams
Roster: Jokic, Chandler, Zo, Ibaka, B Barry, S Barnes, J Dub, D Murray, Batum, Goga, JaMychal, Jaylin
B

Jaylin seems like a fine 12th rounder - his latest season adds more minutes but is less impressive than 24-25. Other than the high fouls he's got a great profile. I would love to start him in two seasons. I like the OKC reunion in the back court. I've liked more picks than I haven't, I have this team maybe around the middle of the pack.

12.7. raggedclaws - Cedric Maxwell
Roster: Stifle Tower, Butler, Bobby Jones, Valanciunas, Porzingis, J Murray, EJ, Tree, Thunder, GPII, Kemba, Cornbread
A-

Cornbread has been great in Savage, with 7 titles, 1 crown, and nice results. He'll actually be playing a decent amount for me - I decided on him in the 10th but figured I could wait since he wasn't taken last season. Probably would have taken Eason or Ryan Anderson if he was gone. I like his 2/3 switchability with Butler and EJ and Tyler and others, and he brings nice rebounding and shooters. The towels aren't great, but you can't have it all.

Comparing this team to last Savage now that the build is done: the rebounding is a whopping 9% CREB lower on average, and my usage is between 100-105 instead of 115-120. I have less assists, fewer free throws per game, and higher fouls. But my eFG is better, I have way more blocks, fewer turnovers, and much better defense. None of my teams are below 125% CREB but I wish it was better - I think last season's squads were better, but it's close.

12.8. steelers821 - Jack Sikma
Roster: Admiral, Haliburton, Moncrief, Favors, Bobby Buckets, M Turner, Delon, Okafor, Beal, KJ, Spoon, Sikma
B+

Sikma is perfectly fine in Savage. I wouldn't to use him outside of 81-82 but that's a good one. I'm still not totally sold on the two Bucks, Portis or Turner, but I think this is a nice overall draft, really well balanced. Tons of good seasons to choose from.

12.9. oddson - Darius Garland
Roster: Dwight, McHale, Spida, Walt, D Davis, Kanter, Bane, Millsap, Derek Harper, Bamba, D Sharpe, Garland
B-

Garland is a quality 12th rounder with his last two seasons. Overall I wish the guards were a little better, but the big men are solid. Could be a top half finish in your first Savage - good luck with your build.

12.10. ysw128 - Jeff Ruland
Roster: Kawhi, Big O, Mobley, Wood, Parish, Horford, Hart, Nurkic, Ron Harper, BroLo, Tarpley, Ruland
C-

Ruland isn't a guy who moves the needle for me, and he's never finished top 5 in Savage. Defense and turnovers just aren't good enough. I was so so on the first half of the draft but you really lost me in the back half unfortunately. It was a bold move to not go big in your first four picks, and while I could have seen it working I don't think you quite landed that plane, especially with these last few picks and the Nurkic reach.

12.11. kammeyer - Rasheed Wallace
Roster: DJ, Pippen, Tatum, D Sabonis, Vucevic, The Truth, CJ, Ed Davis, RoCo, Amir, Reaves, Sheed
C+

I am not the biggest Sheed fan, but I respect the 00-01 season - and his past Savage results speak for themselves, too. Outside of Sabonis and CJ I don't really hate any pick, but I'm just not sure I see this team coming together super well. It seems like DJ will barely get to shoot, and big man defense will be middling at best.

12.12. tarheel1991 - Gordon Hayward
Roster: SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green, Hayward
A

I like Hayward this late a lot, for his versatility and clean game and threes. He's got three titles and a crown. I think this is an awesome draft overall and struggle to find areas to nitpick, other than big man defense being just OK.

12.13. uptowngbv - Obi Toppin
Roster: Harden, Gilmore, Bill Russell, Ant, Marques, Henson, Nash, Diabate, Diallo, Lively, Blake, Toppin
C

Toppin hasn't made a mark in Savage but I'm a fan. So versatile and clean, and the shooting is top notch. Still, I can't say I'm too excited for this overall team. Too many turnovers, not enough defense, and too many negative players. Some of these guys like Harden and Russell and Nash could hypothetically work on the perfect team, but I just don't think this is it.

12.14. edsortails - Grant Hill
Roster: Brow, Capela, PG13, D White, Pau, Lever, Cowens, Oladipo, TJD, Cade, Mullin, Grant Hill
B+

Grant Hill just isn't very impressive in Savage, where bad usage is plentiful and his passing isn't too valuable. Hopefully he isn't playing too much. I like the overall team pretty well, though I would have liked some better value out of the final three picks.

12.15. jethroeg - George Gervin
Roster: Kareem, KAT, Magic, Klay, D Marsh, Little Mo, Draymond, Bellamy, Danny Green, Battier, Dandridge, Gervin
C+

I like the Gervin pick fine but this is quite the collection of 2/3s. I'd have loved it if you'd have grabbed a high impact big in there somewhere, like Goga or Larry Sanders, to help balance things out.

Stellar start to the draft before some loss of momentum, I want to give this team a better grade but didn't like the picks nearly as much from Mo Cheeks onward. Lots of turnovers, not great big defense outside of Kareem, not sure about overall rebounding.

12.16. 20ks - Mason Plumlee
Roster: CP3, Big Ben, Ewing, Clarke, Manimal, W Reed, Ausar, Mookie, Maxey, J-Smoove, Jesus Shuttlesworth, Mason Plumlee
B+

Plumlee is outstanding value in the 12th, and he can contribute at both the 3 and 4; I see him and Faried filling a similar role and they have quality defense around them, which is nice.

Would have been A- instead of B+ but I just don't think Wallace, Ewing, Willis Reed, and Mason Plumlee quite qualifies as a standout big man rotation in Savage.

12.17. ncmusician_7 - Precious Achiuwa
Roster: Big Aristotle, Matrix, Stockton, Boucher, Harrell, STAT, Penny, Vanderbilt, Calderon, Thad Young, Air Gordon, Achiuwa
B

I'm not wild about Precious but he's good in the 12th. Nice rebounding at the 2, and I like the two seasons with nice defense. Slight grade hit because I think the top four is good but not great, and didn't like the Calderon selection. But I think it's a solid overall draft.

12.18. jcred5 - Trey Murphy
Roster: Dr J, Dame, J Allen, Timelord, Birdman, Lowry, Noel, McAdoo, Big Mel, Steven Adams, Biedrins, Trey
A-

I think Trey is an outstanding late pick in Savage, and I like the fit here. This is a really good overall draft, I have it between B+ and A-. I'm thinking the rebounding is going to be fantastic.

12.19. beloud - Derrick Rose
Roster: Slim Reaper, Hakeem, GP, Duren, Looney, OPJ, Hartenstein, Lanier, Siakam, Justin Champagnie, Boban, Rose
A-

I think Rose has been eclipsed in Savage, and he was never successful to begin with; I like 21-22 for its few minutes but don't think he's great overall, other than for a couple of usage backup minutes.

I like this draft though, you covered elite defense early and then added decent defenders with strong other skills, often rebounding, around them.

12.20. jjmurphy1127 - Kyle Korver
Roster: Mailman, M Malone, AK47, Zion, Bledsoe, Jalen Johnson, BBall Paul, IJax, TJ McConnell, Pettit, Tyus, Korver
C+

Korver has never finished top 4 in Savage, but he's decent. 14-15 is particularly nice, and this team needed the 3s which Tyus and Korver provide.

I haven't liked the back half of the draft but was a fan of the first six picks or so. Rebounding should be good.

12.21. riftonapple - Arvydas Sabonis
Roster: Sir Chuck, Duncan, Holiday, Buck, Conley, JJJ, SloMo, Iguodala, Webber, SANDERS, G Hill, A Sabonis
B

Arvydas is a really nice Savage player, at least in 95 and 96, and I like the pick and the fit. His good stocks and FT shooting help compensate for his towels, but I worry this team is going to be sloppy overall and doesn't have the highest talent ceiling either.

I trust rifton as a manager but haven't been overly impressed by any of these picks. Still, a top 10 finish wouldn't surprise me.

12.22. berkelon - Tom Boerwinkle
Roster: Bird, Wade, Deke, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Vince, Roundfield, Terrell Brandon, D Lee, D'Lo, Boerwinkle
B+

In the Boerwinkle debate of 2026 I come out as moderately anti-Tom - I do like the 70-71 season decently well but would not go out of my way to draft him. 0 crowns and more damningly, 0 top four finishes. I've been a fan of this draft, though, many great picks and I can see how all the pieces come together.

12.23. midge - Lauri Markkanen
Roster: KG, Worm, Bam, Chet, Kidd, Jaylen B, LaVine, Mark Williams, Tobi Harris, Giddey, Hornacek, Markkanen
B

Lauri is a very interesting player to be going this late. He's had great average results but has not been able to land a crown. I think he's pretty good in the right situation, and this team seems like a pretty good fit. Other than Mark who isn't even bad, all your big men defend - and rebound. Hope it works out because he's fun.

Overall, I haven't loved the draft but haven't hated many of the picks either. I'm predicting a slightly above average finish.

12.24. pbandj - Clifford Ray
Roster: Luka, Whiteside, Irving, J Lucas, Amen, Alvin Robertson, Clingan, Beef Stew, James Johnson, Troy Murphy, Rudini, Clifford
B-

Clifford goes last - he's someone I've used in low cap leagues before but don't really consider to be Savage worthy. The towels are terrible, and he has never finished in the top five in Savage.

I like this draft pretty well but don't think it's going to be able to compete with some of the top contenders.

A few thoughts on the draft and evals: I tried my best to stay close to live while not neglecting my wife or work, but the draft moves so damn fast these days that proved impossible. My apologies.

I thought most of the drafts were good through the fourth or fifth rounds, but that was when we saw greater divergence. I get the feeling some owners are still drafting based on ADPs from several season drops ago and not appreciating the effect of some new viable players, guards especially. I also think there may be more elite and very solid drafters than ever before - there were squads I gave B+s that I felt would have been top 3 contenders in past editions. That also means that certain draft landmines, many of whom I've called out above or below, are even more painful, even if taken lower than their ADP. There's a fine line between finding a hidden gem who may be able to shine with the correct build, and a dud who is a negative on nearly any roster regardless of fit, in other words.

Now, on to the categories.

***Best Offense
Runner-Up: tarheel1991 - SGA, Embiid, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green, Hayward
This offense is going to be awesome. A few players like Clyde and Noah who aren't amazing shooters, and I think most opponents will be happy to sit 0 on defense, are the main factors keeping this out of the top spot.

Winner: benhoidal - LeBron, Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love, Okongwu, Gortat, Reggie, Fox, Ceballos, Ty Jerome
Unlike tarheel, ben has basically zero holes offensively, with a good balance of high and low usage players. Poor FT% from some players, primarily Robinson and Poeltl, is the only ding I have against this offense.

***Best Defense
The big three for me are the winners and 20ks. I will give 20ks the honorable mention; it's a nice defensive squad but has a few holes, in particular it doesn't seem like it will be able to defend or switch onto SFs especially well, and Mason is sometimes a mediocre defender who fouls too much.

Runner-Up: berkelon - Bird, Wade, Mutombo, Claxton, MPJ, Outlaw, Air Canada, Roundfield, Terrell Brandon, D Lee, D'Lo, Boerwinkle
Every one of your first 9 picks other than MPJ is a really good defender. Those late additions, plus some high fouls, led me to place this squad second.

Winner: dbkc - Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac, Terry Porter, Chriss
These guys are all good defenders. Even Dirk isn't that bad, and doesn't foul, just like Wilt - that balance should see this team having significantly fewer fouls than berkelon.

***Biggest Steal
Honorable mentions: 5.21 - 24kpyrite - John Collins, 6.2 - dbkc - Jerry West, 8.2 - dbkc - Dirk Nowitzki, 8.7 - claws - Tree Rollins, 10.16 - 20ks - Josh Smith, 11.13 - tarheel - AC Green

Runner-Up: 5.2 - midge - Jason Kidd
Kidd in the fifth is crazy. The main reason this didn't win is because Kidd has yet to capture a crown.

Winner: 12.16 - 20ks - Mason Plumlee
I surprised myself with this pick but A. this is a lot lower than he usually goes and B. while he may not be a fit on every team he is versatile enough to slot into many, and has a proven track record.

***Biggest Reach
(Dis)honorable mentions are: 4.5 - dh555 - Ben Simmons, 4.11 - kammeyer - Domantas Sabonis, 6.13 - uptowngbv - John Henson, 8.10 - ysw128 - Jusuf Nurkic. Some of my classic disliked guys combined with bad draft spot compared to ADP, and then John Henson who I just don't think is a sixth rounder. I wanted to put Buck Williams and Steve Nash on the list but by being a "good deal" by ADP they don't make the cut.

Runner-Up: 7.14 - kammeyer - CJ McCollum
I had trouble picking a runner-up but landed on this one - it's not the second-worst by ADP or the second-worst player but it is a bad blend of both, plus a poor track record over the last 10 Savages.

Winner: 6.15 - jethroeg - Mo Cheeks
Huge reach, bad Savage player, Jethro bidding against himself the last few seasons - congratulations Mo Cheeks, you are our biggest reach.

***Top League Pass Team (best/most interesting team IRL)
Obviously there are no real rules to this but I weight early draft picks more heavily than late draft picks, and mostly consider everyone as if it was their best season. Honorable mention to dh - Steph is Steph, Kemp and Gafford will be flying through the air, Ben Simmons is the heel, JaVale brings the comedy. But the spacing would be pretty bad I think and Steph isn't Mr Lob in the same way as, say, CP3. I also like rifton's team for this - lot of smart players who would also do a good job of sharing the ball, and just enough shooting. Last shoutout is to berkelon - fun balance of usage and bigs, and Air Canada would be fun to watch too. Just be careful what you say in the hotel room.

Runner-Up: beloud - Durant, Hakeem, Glove, Jalen Duren, Looney, Otto Porter, Hartenstein, Lanier, Siakam, Justin Champagnie, Boban, Rose
I love the fit of the top three, with great role players around them. Could see this team being really strong. Just enough floor spacing.

Winner: tarheel1991 - SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green, Hayward
Excellent team balance, Manu and Ming could run an killer second unit. Ware is more of a WIS guy than IRL guy (so far) but other than that I would believe in this team.

***Best Single Season Potential
Honorable mentions to benhoidal - combining the top seasons of guys like Love, Jerome, and Walton could make a real juggernaut, and 24k - a top Giannis season alone is a great start, and Zubac, Billups, J Collins, and Mikal all have either elite top seasons or partials.

Runner-Up: tarheel1991 - SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green, Hayward
SGA, Embiid, and Ware clinch this spot almost on their own, and backups like Yao have elite seasons too.

Winner: dbkc - Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac, Terry Porter, Chriss
Guys like Wemby, Kessler, and Chriss don't have as many usable seasons but are so great when they do play, and others like Terry Porter and Crash have clear top seasons as well.

***Savage Winners
Second Runner-Up: tarheel1991 - SGA, The Process, Manu, Clyde, Noah, B Wright, Ware, Nance Jr, Yao, Dalembert, AC Green, Hayward
I wasn't originally planning on picking third but I had so much trouble picking between tarheel and ben that I made this spot. I gave this draft a higher grade than ben but I think ben just has more elite minutes and that will be enough to make the difference.

Runner-Up: benhoidal - LeBron, Nance, Mitch Rob, Walton, Poeltl, Love, Okongwu, Gortat, Reggie, Fox, Ceballos, Ty Jerome
It's tough to draft from the first spot in Savage and build a great team but I think ben managed it here. I loved pretty much all of these picks.

Champion: dbkc - Wilt, Wemby, Kessler, Brand, Crash, Logo, TMac, Dirk, Caruso, J Isaac, Terry Porter, Chriss
He's been all over these awards, and I think he has enough minutes to make it work at a really high level. I think this team has a lower floor than ben but a higher ceiling.

Great job raggedclaws for keeping us entertained! This has been an elite eval. (Midge wondering if he should write an eval of the top 24 evals…..uh, no.) Congratulations to dBKC for winning Savage XXIV, great season! Shout out to Ben and tarheel for terrific seasons! It occurred to me that although I have been playing in league with tarheel1991 for many years, I have no idea what his real name is. Hubert Davis? Pete Chilcutt? Fitzgerald Gunderssön? I have no idea.