Concludings Rematch part two. In Week 3, the A-Boms benefited from a timely injury to Jason Richardson to prevail 5-4. This time, with both teams chasing down the top spot in their respective conferences, neither can afford a let down.The announcement of this year's All-Star teams got the Power Rankings thinking, did everyone really keep their best player from last season? We know it's hard to predict so far in advance how some players will do, and not everyone had a sure-thing keeper. But our existence is based on both conjecture and second-guessing. So we went through every team's final roster from a season ago to see if there wasn't someone else they should have tagged as their keeper. The results are quite interesting.
Team, Rank, (Previous), Overall, (Last Week)
1 (4) 73-50-3 (6-3-0) Kept: Amar'e Stoudemire.
Shoulda Kept: Kevin Garnett.
But not by much. Garnett is 7th in the Player Rater to Amar'e's 13. But with the way they've been playing, don't cry for the Sundancers.
2 (3) 73-51-2 (7-2-0)Kept: Chris Paul
Shoulda Kept: Chris Paul
There really was no question about keeping this year's #1 player. And to top it off, the A-Boms' 2nd-highest rated player, Rashard Lewis (10th), was acquired via trade. Darn those A-Boms! How do they do it!?
3 (1) 68-53-5 (4-4-1)Kept: Kobe Bryant
Shoulda Kept: Kobe Bryant
Another no-brainer for the Gators, as Kobe in most cases would be your team's top option. He currently checks in at #6, while his next highest option, Vince Carter, is 19th.
4 (2) 74-50-2 (3-6-0)Kept: LeBron James
Shoulda Kept: LeBron James
LeBron and CP3 have been taking turns all season as the #1 player in the league, and only an idiot would not have kept him. And Fran Hopkin is no idiot. Although you can't get better than their next-best player from a year ago, Danny Granger (3).
5 (5) 70-50-6 (7-2-0)Kept: Yao Ming
Shoulda Kept: Yao Ming
The League stifled their collective laughter when the Strats kept Yao after his injury-plagued season a year ago. Who's stifling laughter now? Yao is the top-rated center (12th overall), and their next-highest player, Brandon Roy (28) was snagged in the draft.
6 (6) 60-65-1 (5-3-1)Kept: Deron Williams
Shoulda Kept: Tim Duncan
We'll never know how things would have turned out had Williams (74) not been injured to start the season. Duncan (22), however, has been his same consistent self in helping Udorn's rival, Twin Falls.
7 (8) 59-65-2 (5-4-0)Kept: Dirk Nowitzki
Shoulda Kept: Dirk Nowitzki
The SnowBees got something right! It's hard to pass up a guy like Dirk (5), who has been solid all season. Next-best option would have been center Al Jefferson (16), currently thriving in Zermatt.
8 (7) 54-69-3 (3-6-0)Kept: Joe Johnson
Shoulda Kept: Joe Johnson
It was really slim pickins for the Trojans, who kept Johnson (29) over "studs" like Kirilenko (47), Brad Miller (75) and Tony Parker (76).
9 (10) 55-71-0 (4-5-0)Kept: Steve Nash
Shoulda Kept: Ray Allen
Allen, ranked 8th on the Player Rater, has been having a career year for the hated Iguanas, while Nash (44) has been grossly underperforming. In their defense, no one knew Nash would stink so much this year.
10 (9) 55-70-1 (2-7-0)Kept: Josh Smith
Shoulda Kept: Kevin Durant
Another case of hindsight being 20/20, as Smith was one of last year's highest-rated players, but is currently 129th. Durant on the other hand? Ninth. On the bright side, Kidd, whom they ended up nabbing in the draft, is 14th.
11 (11) 49-74-3 (4-4-1)
Kept: Baron Davis
Shoulda Kept: Pau Gasol
Gasol is rated 26th. Davis is currently rated 147. To put that in perspective, there are 34 PGs rated higher. The good news? Jarret Jack, their other current PG, is 137th! Bad news? Jarret Jack, their other current PG, is 137th.
12 (12) 47-71-8 (3-5-1)
Kept: Dwight Howard
Shoulda Kept: Dwyane Wade
Big, dominant center—an obvious choice, right? While Howard has been good (27), take a gander at who Truman had to choose from on last year's squad: Wade (4), Billups (11), and Jamison (20), not to mention David Lee (31), Biedrins (34), Butler (36). At least they didn't keep Marion (71). Let's all agree that their loss to the Gators in the playoffs last year was truly the greatest upset in the history of the WFBL.
Shoulda Kept: Kevin Durant
Another case of hindsight being 20/20, as Smith was one of last year's highest-rated players, but is currently 129th. Durant on the other hand? Ninth. On the bright side, Kidd, whom they ended up nabbing in the draft, is 14th.
11 (11) 49-74-3 (4-4-1)Kept: Baron Davis
Shoulda Kept: Pau Gasol
Gasol is rated 26th. Davis is currently rated 147. To put that in perspective, there are 34 PGs rated higher. The good news? Jarret Jack, their other current PG, is 137th! Bad news? Jarret Jack, their other current PG, is 137th.
12 (12) 47-71-8 (3-5-1)Kept: Dwight Howard
Shoulda Kept: Dwyane Wade
Big, dominant center—an obvious choice, right? While Howard has been good (27), take a gander at who Truman had to choose from on last year's squad: Wade (4), Billups (11), and Jamison (20), not to mention David Lee (31), Biedrins (34), Butler (36). At least they didn't keep Marion (71). Let's all agree that their loss to the Gators in the playoffs last year was truly the greatest upset in the history of the WFBL.
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