Reflection on #NBARank 161-200

Hey guys it's been a little while, been pretty busy trying to find a new job. I'm officially over the finance industry and seeking employment elsewhere.  Considering how disappointing Michigan and the Lions have been so far, I'm already getting excited for basketball season! Each September ESPN puts together a ranking system for the top 400 players entering the season.  I generally agree with most players’ rankings within 5-10 places for the top 100, but when it gets to the lower ranked players, not as much.  This is understandable, as even the analysts pay less attention to the role and bench players on most squads, and the less you see a player play, the harder it is to determine their value.  Regardless, here are four players I think are either under or overvalued from #161-200 in #NBARank.

#	Player	Team	PPG	APG	RPG	PER
165	Nick Young	Philadelphia 76ers	14.2	0.9	2.1	12.93
177	Brandon Knight	Detroit Pistons	12.8	3.8	3.2	11.79
185	Vince Carter	Dallas Mavericks	10.1	2.3	3.4	13.61
195	Marreese Speights	Memphis Grizzlies	8.8	0.8	6.2	14.12

Overrated: 

Can his swagger translate into better production?

(165) Nick Young.  Young plays a very dispensable role for the 76ers, taking the place of Lou Williams at the SG position, as Williams departed for the Atlanta Hawks.  The fact that the 76ers acquired Young, who posted a 12.93 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) last season, and let Williams go, who posted a 20.22 PER that same year, doesn't make sense to me.  Clearly Williams was an efficient scorer, while Young doesn't contribute in any other facet of the game.  Nick Young does have the ability to put up big shooting numbers, but his inefficiency makes him a liability on the court.  For this reason, Young is definitely overrated in #NBARank2012, by at least 20-30 spots.  I would much rather have a lower ranked player, like Gerald Henderson or Rip Hamilton as my two-guard than Nick Young.

Does Carter have anything left in the tank?

(185) Vince Carter.  Sorry folks, Vin-sanity is past his prime.  Watching Carter on the court last season wasn't just disappointing, it was depressing.  He shot .411 from the field, and only managed to shoot an average of two free throws per game.  Although his PER was decent for a role player, Carter's role this year seems destined to decrease with the arrival of OJ Mayo.  The Mavericks fell off last year, and Vince Carter should continue to do the same this year.  At 35 years old I don't think he has enough in the tank to justify his ranking of #185, and he won't be used enough to give himself a chance to exceed it. 

Underrated: 

DEEETROITT BASKETBALL

(177) Brandon Knight.  Although he wasn't the most efficient PG as a rookie last year, Knight has the ability to grow by leaps and bounds this year.  The Detroit Pistons drafted Knight in the 1st round out of Kentucky in 2011, and the rookie immediately made an impact.  Although his PER was only 11.79, and his Assist/Turnover Ratio was approx 1.5, Knight looked explosive and showed a lot of potential.  He should gel more with third year PF/C Greg Monroe this year, as well as Jonas Jerebko and combo guard Rodney Stuckey.  As a Pistons fan I'm naturally excited about Brandon Knight, and would be quite surprised if he didn't exceed his #NBARank for this season. 

Keep on balling, Marreese!

(195) Marreese Speights.  Speights quietly put together a solid 2011-2012 campaign, scoring 8.8 ppg and grabbing 6.2 rpg in only 22 minutes per contest.  The reasoning behind some of his minutes were the injuries to Zach Randolph and Darrell Arthur, but regardless, Speights established himself as a legitimate big man and was a big reason why the Grizzlies were able to overcome said injuries to make the playoffs.  Only 25 y/o , Speights still has time to improve on a young Grizzlies team.  Talented big men are hard to come by in the NBA, thus a player like Speights is a much less common commodity than a two guard like Nick Young, Jimmer Fredette, or Dorell Wright, who contribute mostly in the points department.  Hopefully Speights can match his performance from last year and outpace his current #NBARank